Charlie & His Wife
by CrazyAna
Summary: She had to marry him for her own protection, and that of her friends. A year and a war later, they found themselves finally together. What shall come out of it she wondered. She was a woman of words and him, a man of actions, sworn to protect and cherish her. Now all he had to do was prove to her that he was her man. Simple, wasn't it? (Now Complete!)
1. Chapter 1

**_Prologue:_**

 _The very beginning…_

They had hardly met, if ever and now the entire Order and her second family was trying to convince her that she had to marry him, for her own protection and for the protection of her best mates – Harry and Ron.

 _It all started a little like this…._

They were given a secret mission and everybody except her unofficial surrogate mum Mrs. Molly Weasley was on her side. Molly Weasley just worried too much. They had a plan, they knew what to do. There were just a few glitches that had to be ironed out. All was set. But with Voldemort gaining power in the ministry, it would be extremely easy for them to track three young _well-known_ wizards. The idea was simple really. On the tracker it wouldn't show the three young friends, instead it would show a family travelling with a friend – a combination that would raise lesser of an alarm if the _relation_ was kept well hidden. She had two choices – either marry Harry (which she could not consider at all given that (a) Ginny would probably murder her in her sleep and (b) and more importantly, because it would feel a lot like incest!) Her other option was of course Ron… Ronald Billius Weasley, the boy she had been crushing on since time immemorable. But she knew she couldn't do that to him. If they ever got together, she wanted it to be because he cared for her as much as she did for him. Anything short of that would feel wrong to her and she just couldn't bring herself to do it. And that brought her back to her current predicament. Where did she go from here? She knew she had to be beside Harry, that was her place, she was very clear on that front. She had already obliviated her parents so there was no way back that side anymore, she thought, her eyes glistening slightly. It was these reasons that she found herself sitting in the cozy room, just under the den of the Burrow, discussing her un-enviable position with Mr. Weasley, the twins, Bill and a few members of the Order, namely, Professor Lupin, the new Mrs. Lupin aka Tonks and Kingsley Shacklebolt. Mrs. Weasley was of course absent. They had decided that once Harry got to the Burrow, in other two weeks' time, Hermione was to have her bags on her person every single minute, ready to leave, ensuring to have both Harry and Ron with her, to run at the slightest notice.

They had decided to use the ghoul in the dungeons as Ron (by charming him to look like Ron as much as possible) and report a severe bout of illness for his lack of attendance at Hogwarts. They now needed a good reason for Hermione to be skipping school too. If the authorities knew that they were together, they would be on their backs in no time, not that they had any hopes of the authorities believing them anyway. It was all a ruse to keep the ones they were leaving behind safe.

"Well, if you are planning on passing two of them off as related, I must say Arthur that Hermione would need to marry a Weasley, unless of course you decide to let Harry marry Ginny, making Ron and him brothers. As Hermione is not ready to marry Harry or Ron, those are the only choices we face," said Remus looking thoughtful.

"Hmm…I agree. Though we can't have Harry marrying Ginny as she is still underage; the ministry would know of it within a minute of their nuptials. Also, if Hermione marries one of _my_ boys instead of some long lost cousins of ours, we have the added advantage of guaranteeing that her husband wouldn't turn his back on us mid-way and go prattling off to the other side," replied Arthur, deep in thought about which boy of his would be best suited for this new role. He would've recommended Percy, seeing as how Hermione seemed to have most in common with him, but alas, Percy had quit the family fold to prove himself. What exactly the boy was trying to prove was beyond Arthur, but he understood better than most that there were times when parents could only stand back and watch, hoping they had prepared their wards well enough to take on the world. His eldest and second, had after all taken life altering decisions and chosen extremely dangerous occupations as soon as they were out of Hogwarts and the twins hadn't even bothered with a simple 'by your leave' when they'd spectacularly over-ridden the eldest duo's passion for adventure and quit school and opened up a joke shop in Diagon Alley in the middle of a brewing war! And it was best for his sanity if he was left in the dark about his youngest's exploits, there was only so much a father could bear after all!

"Oh my! I know! She has to marry Charlie! He is the perfect solution!" exclaimed a very excited Tonks, cutting into Arthur's reverie, just as he was considering asking one of the twins to stand up for the task.

"Hear me out first," she warned before any of the others could voice their opinions against her idea. "He is my best friend so I can guarantee he'll treat her right. He is a member of the Order so we have that in place. He is studious and loves to read so they'll have something to talk about after the wedding. Unlike Bill, he is available, I know for sure because that guy _never_ dates. Unlike Percy, he is not a git." Many of those present snorted at that. "Unlike the twins who are in the thick of things, he is not close enough to the scene and was specifically instructed to stay away in Romania by Dumbledore, so that way we can explain away her absence, however long it might be, even to Molly! She's been dreaming of the day when she can call Hermione her own, so she'll be too ecstatic to even consider foul play. And by marriage, she'll be related to Ron. It also gives us the added advantage of her name change. While she will be Mrs. Weasley, everyone's first and probably only guess would be Mrs. Ron Weasley, well, at least not Mrs. Charlie Weasley, giving us extra leverage and the kids some down time while they are in hiding carrying out their secret mission. In fact, if we hurry enough and keep our mouths shut, we can even merge their wedding time to coincide with Bill's so all the festivities would hide their wedding."

Everyone was in deep thought, weighing out her words and trying to find a hitch anywhere. So far all came up empty. After a good half hour, they all finally relented saying that that was probably their best idea so far and their safest bet. Everyone was then assigned different jobs. Tonks was to get in touch with Charlie personally, she being the only non-Weasley who could do it without raising suspicions. Mr. Weasley was to get a marriage registry certificate to officiate their wedding. He would explain it saying that he wanted to officiate his eldest son's wedding, as these licences were valid for one marriage only; he would later explain the other minister's arrival pleading a change in plan from Fleur's side who needed a Veela minister (who was already booked by them) to officiate their wedding. The wedding would take place in the wee hours of the morning on the day before Bill's wedding, to avoid the crowd and yet keep the suspicions at bay.

By the next two hours the entire wedding was planned. Arthur would officiate their union. Bill would be the best man and Kingsley and Remus their witnesses. Hermione refused to involve Ginny in this and spoke in clear terms about her not wanting any bridesmaid at all. She was however worn down by Tonks and finally realised that she in fact did not mind having Tonks by her side for those few minutes. Harry would walk her down the aisle, for she had to tell him about this fiasco of a wedding and she knew him well enough to know that he would want to be a part of it all, standing by her side. She would just wear her dress from Fleur's wedding and marry in it. It was unanimously decided that a white dress would raise too many questions. The Burrow was guarded enough but in such times you had to be cautious despite it all. Hermione refused to make matters difficult for everyone by being demanding in any way and therefore did not object to anything at all. Charlie would be requested to stay on till Harry, Ron and herself were to leave, on that same day he would leave too, leaving behind a long letter explaining to his mother how he had fancied the little Ms. Granger and now that she was of age he wanted her all to himself and was taking her along with him to the dragon reserve to keep her safe and away from all the bloodshed. Arthur promised to keep all safe from Molly's wrath after the letter and prevent her from going to the reserve at all costs citing Hermione's safety as a good reason to stay away and keep the ministry from finding out what had transpired. No one was to find out about this marriage except for the people present, Harry and of course Charlie. Mrs Weasley would be told of it at the very end. They were sure that it would take at least 4-5 months for the entire sham to be exposed and for the ministry to try to track them again with better information. Five months Hermione swore inwardly to use best.

Now all that was left to do was to gain the groom's approval but Tonks seemed too sure of herself and promised that she would swing by soon enough with a positive reply. Hermione and Remus both gave two identical small knowing smiles as Tonks had broken down their reservations pretty quickly too.

Tonks returned after three short days with a big smile, a ' _Yes! He is willing to do it!'_ on her lips and a small letter and a beautiful dragon scale bookmark for Hermione from her husband-to-be. In two more weeks Hermione was going to be a Mrs. Weasley, Mrs. Charlie Weasley. That was when the entire thing sank in and Hermione promptly fainted!


	2. Chapter 2

- **CHAPTER 01** -

The days leading up to the wedding were _weird_ , for the want of a better word. They all helped Fleur as much as they could with the wedding preparations. They were also assigned random tasks by Mrs. Weasley, probably to ensure that they stayed indoors, out of harm's way. _Ha!_ As if that was even a possibility with all the Weasley children (minus two, one much to Hermione's relief) and Hermione in attendance. Harry was still with the Dursleys and Hermione was dreading the time, he'd be there at the Burrow because then she would have to come clean with him, a prospect that was losing all its glitter very quickly, making Hermione wonder if sometimes honesty was a little too over-rated after all.

On a rare chore-free Sunday afternoon, all of the young adults in attendance, namely, Bill, Fred, George, Ron, Ginny and Hermione, huddled together in the den at the Burrow, expressing their grief at their utmost boredom. And suddenly, Hermione was pulled by her legs at the very edge of her favourite seat by window, finding herself surrounded by the twins. George slid in beside her, placing his arm around her shoulders, with a very naughty grin plastered on his face, while Fred sat by her legs, an elbow perched on her knee away from him, half-turning to fix her with his mischievous eyes. Hermione knew trouble when it looked her in the face, and this time its name was _Weasley Twins_!

"Granger," George started, "you've spent so many summers with us over the years that…"

"We've almost come to think of you as a sister," Fred completed. "That being said, we just realised that…."

"You have no idea about the things that truly tick in your new family," this time George finished it for Fred.

Hermione so knew what they were trying to insinuate and felt her temper rising, along with a faint blush.

"That's right, but how do we remedy that?" That was Bill, immediately catching their drift.

At Bill's participation, Hermione bit her inner cheek. He was by far the most mature of all the Weasley kids and she felt that may be knowing a little something about her future husband wouldn't hurt. Thinking quickly, she asked, "What did you have in mind?" taking turns to look at both the twins, one at a time, fixing them with a narrowed down gaze, warning written clearly in her eyes, that if they mucked up too badly, they would have to look out behind their backs for a long time to come.

They laughed at that. "All that prissy behaviour is so lost on you, Granger," George muttered.

"Shame really, we'd love to pick your brains to expand our business," Fred agreed.

"So what's this game now?" Ron grumbled.

"It's simple really. We'll call it 'Guess Who'. We describe one of us," George said, "and Granger here has to guess who we are talking about," Fred completed.

"Sounds fun!" Ginny quipped. "I'll start. Uhm.. ok I know… I'll give you an easy one to start with Mione. I've hated the twins' antics since their cradles!"

Hermione didn't even have to think for this one! "Percy."

They all laughed.

"It's because of me that Ron's afraid of spiders," Bill went next.

Hermione had to think a little for this one. "Ron told me it was the twins, but which one?" She looked at them both, both looking like epitomes of innocence. She went on a hunch. "Fred?"

"Right you are love," the man in question grinned as if that was the biggest compliment he had ever received.

"Time to up the ante I think," George said next.

"I gave 9 NEWTs and got 8 Os," Fred knew of Hermione's love of academics and wanted her see his elder brother as something more than a burly dragon keeper.

"Well…" she thought, "It would have to be one of the elder ones. You two decided to muck around with Umbridge instead of giving the NEWTs and I know Percy appeared only for 6. Is it you Bill?" Hermione asked looking at him, knowing that he was the best student amongst them all complete with a Prefect and Head Boy tag.

Bill, shaking his head regretfully said, "No love, I've got one short. Just gave 7 NEWTs, got all Os though. That one was Charlie. He missed the last O cause he was captaining the quidditch match the day before, against Hufflepuff and spent the remainder of the day at the infirmary, tending his broken arm after flying out of his broom to catch the snitch. He went on and on about how with just two more hours of study he could have gotten things done much better. Refused to leave quidditch too though," he winked.

"I don't know what he was ranting on about though, he was still the valedictorian of his year!" exclaimed Ron.

And just like that, Hermione learnt a lot more about her soon-to-be husband. She was happy to learn that he was a maniac when it came to learning something new, the more it challenged his skills the better. She smiled when she learned he spoke very little and laughed when they told her that he loved animals ("more than humans," George had added) and was constantly smuggling ill and stray animals up to the homestead to nurse them back to health all through his childhood, way too much for their mother's peace of mind (Bill had added). She also learned that he was sort of a ladies man and was in fact the one who passed on the Marauder's Map to the twins, to ensure that the mischief continued after he left the school. From all his stories she heard today, he seemed to be sensitive and charismatic; thoughtful, kind and sincere and yet had a temper that went with the hair and strength to instil fear into those who would dare to cross him wrongly. He was as sorted as Bill and yet as naughty as the twins, as dedicated as Percy, as hard working as Ginny and as loyal as Ron yet a bane to his mother's existence with all his philandering ways. The more she learned about him, the bigger an enigma he became for her. He seemed like the perfect mix of a sinner and a saint, and she felt sure that if their relationship ever blossomed into something a little more true, she would have her work cut out for her to be able to keep up with him.

The game went on for about 2 hours, until Bill exclaimed he had to leave to see his beautiful fiancée, all this to a lot of boisterous teasing and wolf-whistling. He caught Hermione's eye before leaving and gave her a warm smile, plucked his coat from the hook and stepped into the fire calling out his fiancée's address.

Truth be told, Hermione had enjoyed the guessing game too. She had learned a lot of new things about her husband-to-be, putting him into a whole new light, but she had learned a lot of things about this lovely family, who were all, in their own way, very special to her heart. And later that night, after dinner, she made it a point to stop by the twins' room to thank them for their thoughtful gesture. "We're there for you Granger," they whispered, pecking on her cheeks and hugging her between them. Her heart warmed up further.

!

It was just a week before Bill and Fleur's wedding when Hermione heard Fleur screaming her head off on Bill in the kitchen. She went on a rant unstopping and midway switched to French when the emotions got better of her. Hermione stood by the door thinking her next move through when a very sorry looking Bill passed by her, unseeingly. She had understood the reason behind the debacle and went in to bite the bullet for ensuring harmony at the already crazy household. "If you'd like, I'll go with the boys to shop for their dress robes and if you want, I'll ensure that they buy the colours you demand of them," Hermione offered.

"Really, Ermione? You wud du daz for me? Merci. Merci beaucoup." Fleur sagged her shoulders in relief. She quickly summoned a paper and a quill and gave the list of the colours against the names of her brothers-in-law-to-be and passed it to her. "Now if you wud excuze me, I will go and make up wiz Bill for my oribble be'aviour, no? Again, thank you, Ermione."

!

With Ginny's help Hermione rounded up the boys at the Burrow and they flooed out to Diagon Alley. It was in the robe shop that Charlie saw his soon-to-be-wife and the sight had him trying real hard to not laugh, lest he offend her. Hermione had her voice raised, hands on hips and she was setting every brother of his present straight, leaving them in no doubt about who the boss-man of the situation was.

"FREDRICK GIDEON WEASLEY. I SWEAR TO GODRIC GRYFFINDOR, IF I SEE YOU ONE MORE FUCKING TIME ANYWHERE CLOSE THE DAMNED MAROON ROBES, I'M GOING TO HEX YOU INTO NEXT YEAR, EVADING THE NEED FOR YOU TO BUY A BLOODY ROBE AT ALL."

"AND YOU, GEORGE FABIAN WEASLEY, EITHER YOU TRY THAT GREEN ROBE I HANDED TO YOU ON OR I'LL HAVE THE ROBE TRY YOU OUT. NOW. SPRINT."

"RONALD BIL….."

"Fine I'm going, I'm going…. Wonder what's got your knic…"

"RONALD BILIUS WEASLEY, I DARE YOU TO COMPLETE THAT SENTENCE.." she said this pointing her wand at his little brother. Ginny was sniggering beside her, the prefect accomplice for the task she was handed, Charlie smirked.

Ron for his part shook like a dry leaf, staring at her raised wand. "I'm done. I'm leaving. I'll meet the others at the twins' shop." Saying this he all but ran out the store.

Charlie saw Hermione smirking smugly while lowering her wand. Before he could say something to make his presence known, George was out. "I look hideous in this Granger. It has just one colour and that colour's green!" He shuddered. "I hate it."

Hermione then walked up to George with a slight sway to her hips and changed her tunes, hooking one arm up on his neck and placing the other on his chest. Before Charlie could analyse the immediate feeling of jealousy creeping in him, she was speaking to George in soft, husky tones, "Look at me Georgie. Good. Now look into my eyes and tell me how do you think you look? And before you answer that, look at me real well and tell me DOES IT FUCKING LOOK LIKE I CARE ABOUT HOW YOU LOOK. THE BRIDE WANTS YOU IN GREEN ROBES AND YOU'LL BE THERE IN FUCKING GREEN ROBES! End. Of. Discussion."

George cringed at the words, at the tone and at the way he was played. "You'll be pranked for this Granger. Be warned." But she just made a move towards her wand and he dashed away, coming back in three seconds flat and scurrying to the cashier. "I'll be over at the shop. Come when you all are done," he waved and disappeared through the door.

"Two down, two to go," Ginny said laughing. "I need to pick a few things from WWW so we'll swing by there before flooing home okay?"

"Sure," Hermione nodded. Fred stepped out.

"THIS COLOUR DOES NOT GO WITH MY HAIR!" he screamed at no one in particular looking down with revulsion at his yellow robes.

"Easily fixable. I'll be happy to magic off your hair for you," Hermione offered with saccharine sweetness. Charlie smirked again.

"You wouldn't."

"Try me."

"Fine. I'll get this one. Only because your being so sweet about it all. But I'm gonna prank you all the way till the wedding for making me do this."

"Don't make this harder than it already is Fred. GET THE FUCKING ROBE AND KEEP THE BRIDE HAPPY ON HER SPECIAL DAY. If I hear one more whine about your robes or one more word about pranks from either you or George, I promise you I'll use all of _your_ products to prank _you_ _two_ to oblivion and back, just so I can prank you again!"

"You can't use our products on us. We'd know."

"Ah, but you forget. I'm Hermione Granger. I'll make sure all your products come to you with _my twists_ on them." Charlie saw Fred shudder at that. "Now that we are on the same page, go change and we can leave."

It was Fred's chance to snicker now. "I will, with Ginny of course. But you missy have work to do yet." Fred looked behind Hermione pointedly and dipped his head in greeting at Charlie and stormed back to the changing rooms. Before Hermione could turn around and register who it was, Fred was out, whisking off Ginny with him back to his shop throwing a teasing smile Charlie's way before leaving. "Take your time with her brother dear. We have a busy day at the shop and I can assure you NO ONE IS GOING TO MISS HER," he shouted behind him.

It was all happening too fast for Hermione, but she knew, she just knew who was standing behind her. His was the first name on Fleur's list and by the glint in Fred's eye she was sure he was here.

Charlie, for his part, tried his level best to not laugh. He did not want to meet his future wife like that, especially when he'd just seen her fury. Especially because he did not want to be at the receiving end of her wand. So he walked up to her, features schooled, eyes twinkling, "Hermione," he dipped his head.

"Charlie," she whispered back, eyes bulging out, hair crackling with energy, body stiff with tension.

He furrowed his brow at her reaction but said nothing. "So what's my colour?"

"Uhm.. Fleur wanted you in burnt red," she replied, both wincing at the colour at the same time. "Someone's going out of their way to make sure no one looks good," Charlie mused, voicing her own thoughts loudly. But she said nothing, neither to Fleur, nor to him. "It's the colour the bride wants you in, so you will have to pick that one only."

He bit his tongue hard so he wouldn't ask her what colour his bride wanted to see him in and smirked instead. "Yeah…. Trust me, I'd had that figured out. Let's have a look, let me know if you like anything you see and I'll do the same. Okay?"

Hermione nodded and got to work. They both went through two small racks of robes of that particular colour and chose the least atrocious one for him to try. "Charlie wait," Hermione muttered a spell on the robe and let him proceed to the changing rooms. _Anti-magic_ _spell_ Charlie quirked his eyebrow at her and she wanly replied his unasked question. "I did it for everyone, so no one destroys or changes them before the wedding to avoid wearing them."

He sniggered, mumbling something about her knowing the twins too well to even consider such a spell as he walked into the changing room. He too was back in a jiffy, trying very hard to not show what he was feeling about the robes he wore. "So, do I look dashing enough to pick out a fair maiden at the wedding then?"

Hermione looked up at him, "I guess these'll have to do." She felt horrid about her husband-to-be asking about picking out 'fair maidens', to her of all people but she knew their dynamics and accepted that she couldn't expect him to lead a celibate life after their wedding.

Charlie saw the way Hermione's face turned sour and went over what he'd just said in his head and cringed. He was trying to flirt with her and she had taken it wrongly. He stepped back into the changing rooms and was out in a bit, just like the twins, trying to pull out his feet from his ass. _How did I, a certifiable ladies man, muck this up with just three sentences?_ he wondered.

He felt something strange when he stepped out of the changing room and before he could gather his thoughts a hex flew past Hermione. Through sheer instincts he grabbed her by her shoulders and got them to duck. He held her close to his chest. "Keep your mind absolutely blank," he flicked his wand and a letter of sorts flew out of it and then he apparated them away, right from the store. They zoomed past a dozen different places, walking every now and then before disapparating again, before he finally got them to a small town. They walked a few alleys and made their way to a tavern and from there they flooed to the Burrow.

The minute they stepped out he sent his Patronus, a majestic silver dragon, with an encrypted message to the twins. He turned to look at her and in the most clinical way possible asked, "Are you hurt Hermione? Feeling dizzy or sick or any such thing?" She shook her head.

"How did they know?" she whispered.

Charlie went through the entire episode he had witnessed at the shop, in his head and finally furrowed his brow in distaste. "You spoke your name when you were chastising Fred. My best guess is someone heard, rounded up a few close by allies and came for the hunt. You might need to be a little more careful in the future Hermione, with all that you three have planned, caution will need to be of utmost importance." She nodded and stared blankly at the floor. _How could I have been so stupid?!_

"Hey! It's okay, love. It happens to the best of us. More so than we'd let on. You are fine and that's what matters. Come here." He hugged her. Hermione was too shaken to not respond. The second he tucked her in him, she was surrounded by him. She'd never dated anyone so burly, so she felt as if he had her encompassed on all sides and she felt safe there, in Charlie's arms.

"Uhm.. Uhm.." someone cleared their throat. They both stepped out of their embrace but Charlie held on to Hermione's shoulder.

"Bill," Charlie greeted.

"Hello Charlie! Did I disturb something?" Bill asked waggling his brows in a very suggestive way.

"I'm gonna go rest for a bit," Hermione zoomed out of the room, up the stairs. Charlie saw her leave and then turned to Bill and without preamble narrated the entire scene to him. Bill only grew stiller and paler. They waited for the twins, Ron and Ginny to come back home, then left for the Order's headquarters for a quick chat with the seniors there.

Fearing Charlie's presence, Hermione skipped dinner and was hungry by mid-night. The thought of a nice hot chocolate sounded good to her so she made her way down to the kitchen as silently as she could, not wanting to wake anyone up. The lamps in the kitchen were glowing when she got there and she saw the one man she was trying to avoid, sitting right there at the small table with some paperwork sprawled in front of him. _Well, at least he is as hot as I remember_ thought Hermione, looking at Charlie, taking in the tall 6ft 3 broad shouldered, tanned and muscled, blue eyed specimen of male perfection and thinking back to the Quidditch World Cup when she was crushing on him and Ginny on Cedric, as both the girls sat for hours staring at the boys who occupied their interest and complained about the age difference that would always make the same boys stay away from them.

He looked up when she got there, as if feeling her eyes on him.

"Oh, Charlie! I'm sorry I disturbed you. I'll go back upstairs now," she rushed through her apology and tried to make herself scarce. Just as she turned, she heard him.

"Wait. Come in." She waited but did not budge. "Come in and sit Hermione. Please, I insist."

Seeing no way out, she turned and got in, taking the only other chair at the small table. "I never pegged you for a quidditch fan Hermione," Charlie said in quiet tones, taking in her fuzzy pink pajama drawstring bottoms topped with a bright orange Chudley Canons jersey.

"I am not. It's Ron's. He grew out of it and I find it very comfortable so I use it now." He pouted his lips and nodded while thinking about that.

"I heard you skipped dinner. Not a good idea for a growing girl. What can I get you to eat?"

She felt her face flame. He thought of her as a child. _Great! Just what she needed!_ "I was hungry so I came down for some hot chocolate. I'll make some now and take it up to my room."

She was very keen on getting away from him. And for someone who was screaming profanities at a robe shop in Diagon Alley, she looked very nervous around him. It amused him. "How do you like your hot chocolate?"

"That's alright. I'll make it. No trouble." He only cocked a brow. "I take hot milk, drinking chocolate not cocoa with a pinch of nutmeg, lots of froth and three mini-marshmallows on top." He sat back in his chair, left leg stretching in front of him, away from the table. He waved his hand and her hot chocolate began to make itself. Hermione's eyes widened at that. _He hadn't used his wand or even a spell!_ But she said nothing.

He was almost sure she would speak to him then, after seeing his wandless magic, no such luck. So he tried again after her cup of hot chocolate hovered in front of her and set itself down on the table. "Are your parents attending the wedding?"

She winced, eyes darkening in pain. "I…. I obliviated them. They have no idea they have a daughter or about their life here. I needed to keep them safe so I sent them away from here…. To Australia.."

He could feel her pain at that but kept mum, willing her to continue.

"I had to do it Charlie… I had to keep them safe… they can't defend themselves against magic… they're muggles. I'll… I mean after the war…. once everything settles, I'll get them back."

He knew she was a muggle-born of course but he saw her strength for the first time. Obliviating memories was difficult, and she had so many emotions involved while carrying out the spell. He respected her for her sacrifice, one she had made before the war had even started. Merlin alone knew what more she'd have to give up by the time it all ended. "I need to know you're okay with all this."

She knew what he was talking about and she knew why he couldn't go into details. The kitchen of the Burrow was hardly a place for private talks, despite the bewitching hour; but a tiny little part in her was still a little saddened that he couldn't even bring himself to mention their wedding. "Yes, I am."

"You realise wizarding marriages are permanent. No divorces. The only option available to us after this would be to annul it after the war or stick together."

"I do," she said and winced at her words.

He laughed. "This should be fun," he murmured and went back to his paperwork while she drank her hot chocolate. They spent the next few minutes in silence, Hermione throwing covert glances at him every now and then. He did the same. But neither spoke. Finally, she finished her drink and excused herself.

Just before she stepped out of the kitchen, he called back after her, "Hermione, I….. I will be leaving early in the morning tomorrow. Probably before you're up. So I guess I'll see you at… our wedding after this now."

She bobbed her head once but did not turn around. "Good night Charlie. Have a safe trip tomorrow," and she was gone.

He folded his arms and looked at the door for a few more seconds and then got back to his work. It was urgently required at the Order and he had to sort it out before he left for Romania after all…


	3. Chapter 3

- **CHAPTER 02** -

The day of the weddings dawned bright and clear. To avoid unnecessary spectators, they had decided to wed Charlie and Hermione at 4 in the morning. Charlie was not too sure how Hermione viewed this wedding and how traditional her outlook was, so he had taken the last portkey to England the night before from the Romanian Ministry headquarters and had stayed at the small hotel atop the Three Broomsticks for the night. He hadn't been able to sleep all through the night. Thoughts of his not so distant future and his wife-to-be plaguing him. How was she doing? How was she feeling? How was she coping? being the at the very forefront of his mind. Twisting and turning on his big bed, he realised that it was 3 am. He took a quick shower, dressed up in his robes, checked out of the hotel and apparated to the Burrow. After passing through all the wards, he was in front of the small tent wherein he was to be wed in the next 20 minutes. Tonks ran to him, hugging him tightly and giving him a big kiss on both his cheeks while telling him she was so very proud of him for showing up and how lucky he was to soon have Hermione as his wife. He just stared at her with a blank expression on his face. He wasn't sure if he should be annoyed because she thought he would let his family and Hermione down by not showing up or be exasperated because she was behaving like this was a love match. At the end he thought, there wasn't any point in either. Tonks was after all just being Tonks! He flashed her a smile and walked inside the tent with her at his arms. Tonks soon excused herself and went to get Hermione, winking at him on her way out.

!

Hermione was sick with worry and couldn't sleep, so waking up was not difficult for her. Without making any sound she got dressed in Ginny's and her shared room. She did a little something to tame her wild hair. As it was a very early morning function, she did not bother with any make up. At 3:45, she heard a soft knock on the door and on opening it saw Tonks on the other side. Tonks gave her a warm smile and a hug, promised her that all will be well and lead her down to the hall, making as little noise as possible. At the foot of the stairs, Hermione saw Harry. He looked as miserable as she felt. He smiled as soon as he saw her. Leaving her with Harry, Tonks left to oversee the preparation outside.

"You look awful," Hermione whispered to him.

"But you look beautiful Mione," he murmured back. She blushed a little at that. It always amazed Harry about how dense Hermione was in certain things in spite of being dubbed as the brightest witch of their age by many. She had no idea about the effect she had on boys and always thought of herself as the same bushy haired, buck teethed 11 year old girl, he had helped rescue from the troll in the bathroom back in his first year at Hogwarts.

"Couldn't sleep?" He shook his head in the negative.

"Me neither," she replied. They simply held each other's hands and waited for Tonks in silence. Their friendship did not need words. The silence was comfortable, both knowing they would have each other, _always_.

!

The wedding ceremony went on smoothly. The few guests present gave Hermione small encouraging smiles as Harry walked her down the aisle, giving her away to Charlie, who in turn welcomed her with a small smile of his own. When the time came for them to exchange rings, Hermione's eyes widened, but Tonks immediately placed a plain gold band in her cold and sweaty hands and pressed her hands warmly before stepping back to her spot behind her. Hermione bit down on her lip and placed the ring on Charlie's finger. Bill too handed Charlie a small black box, opening which Charlie placed a band around her finger. Curiously she looked at her hands but saw nothing. She could swear she felt the weight but there was nothing on her finger then. Charlie just smiled at her again and promised to explain later, placing a subtle hand on her elbow to get her to face his father again. Arthur finished the ceremony and permitted Charlie to kiss his bride. He again smiled at her and gave a butterfly kiss on her right cheek and just like that she was no more Hermione Granger but Hermione Weasley, Mrs. Charlie Weasley. She felt herself heating up again as her vision swam, but before she could fall flat on her face, Charlie held her up and calmly whispered " _breathe, deep,"_ in her ear. She did just that and felt the bout going away. They thanked everyone and then she was lead out of the tent, back into her room by Tonks. She then changed into her shorts and jersey again and sat back down on her bed, thinking of the events that had transpired in the last hour and a half. She was just about to hyperventilate again when Harry entered her room. He gave her a warm hug and reminded her to breathe again. She did just that and bent her head slightly behind. Hermione looked into his green eyes and she knew that whatever it was that had happened was all worth it for she had done it for her best friend, the boy whom she thought of as her little brother, probably the only person she could truly call family at this moment, since her parents had no idea about her existence just then. "I'll be fine," she whispered. He gave her a quick peck on her forehead and went to his room. Hermione released the big breath she was holding and sat back down on the bed, waiting for Ginny to wake up so that she could take her mind off things.

But that did not happen. About 5 minutes after Harry left, there was a soft knock on the door yet again and it creaked open to the sight of her groom standing at it this time. He too had changed from his robes into dark grey sweatpants and a blue t-shirt.

"We need to talk," he smiled tightly.

 _Of course! Why else would you be here?_ she thought darkly and nodded, dipping her head in Ginny's direction, reminding him they had no privacy there.

He nodded and held out his hand, and since she didn't know what else to do, she took it. He led her up the stairs to his room. Pulling her in with him, and taking care to shut the door as softly as he could, he tapped at the knob with his wand and then waved it once around the room. Satisfied, he nodded and carelessly flung his wand in the general direction of his desk on one side of the room and it landed perfectly on it. All the while he hadn't muttered a spell nor had he let Hermione's hand go.

"That should give us a couple of hours to talk in peace," he muttered and led her towards the bed, getting her to sit down on it and sitting down beside her himself.

"How do you do all this magic without spells and wands?" she asked curiously.

He shrugged, "Practice. Now tell me, how are you?" He purposefully kept the enquiry so unspecific, thinking she could discuss what she wanted instead of being uncomfortable speaking of things she didn't want to.

She creased her nose at that, "I'm okay I guess. I mean it's….. I don't know, it's probably too soon to think about it," she answered him honestly.

He nodded and that brought his attention to her hand warmly nestled in his. Without thinking he got his other hand up and rubbed his thumb on the back of her hand. "You're so small and dainty, I get this urge to protect you," he whispered softly, not really waiting to filter his thoughts before he spoke.

Hermione bristled at that. _This is just perfect!_ First she was too young, now she was too small. All the stress of the previous few weeks came back to her, rising her temper. "I'm not small, you're too tall! And you're too burly too, I feel like you surround me every time you come close," she snapped.

He laughed at that. "Really, do I now? Tell me more."

And her temper rose! He'd laughed at her insult! "And… and I think you're stupid. I mean, really, who asks their bride-to-be if they look good enough to pick some random bird on the day after their own wedding? Especially sporting robes of that hideous a colour! And who kisses their bride on the cheek for crying out loud? What am I, 12?"

And he continued laughing, his eyes sparkling with his amusement. " _Maybe_ the bride-to-be misunderstood. _Maybe_ the groom-to-be was asking her if she thought he looked good enough in those hideous robes to pick on her on the day after their wedding. And _maybe_ the same groom wasn't sure of his bride's reaction to his kiss and thus the said kiss was planted on the cheek instead. Is _that_ not a possibility?"

 _Oh snap!_ "But you do think of me as a little girl. Don't bother denying it. You said it yourself, 'growing girls shouldn't miss their meals'. What about that then?"

He looked at her strangely then and started rubbing her hand again. "You are only 17. You have your whole life ahead of you. And you're made to go through all of this. You should have had a choice to pick someone for yourself. To grow up slowly, rather than being forced into anything because of the upcoming war."

"I don't repent it. Whatever I am doing is for Harry in specific and for the good of all in general. Since the time I've made friends with him I've known what I've signed up for. And I wouldn't change a thing about it," she replied, with surety and conviction in her voice.

He looked up at her again, her loyalty impressed him. He half smiled. "Huh, maybe I am stupid for not doing this in the morning," he said softly, eyes turning a tad darker as he bent his head and brought her in for a kiss. It was soft and slow. He gave her the control, wanting her to set its pace, as he continued to rub his thumb on the back of her hand.

Hermione sat there stock still for a good long minute, before she finally melted into him and started kissing him back. He gasped and brought her closer, holding her behind her head to angle her face better as he slid his tongue in through her barely parted lips, coaxing them to open up a little more for him. He felt her hesitation before she responded and her response set him on fire. She moaned as he deepened their kiss, feeling the top of her mouth while duelling with her tongue. She wrapped her hands around his neck, tugging at his hair and bringing him in closer to her. He groaned as he pushed her on the bed, lighting her up. Before either realized it, Charlie had his hands under her jersey, feeling the soft skin on her stomach; his calloused hands sending small jolts of electricity in her.

"You're so soft and supple," he whispered when they came up for air, running hungry fingers on her midriff and her back.

"And you talk too much," she smiled and pulled him in again on her to start a new kiss.

Charlie ran his hands upwards as he kept their mouths busy and froze when he touched her naked breasts under the jersey. He immediately came up and looked at her "there's nothing under this," he spoke shocked and then looked down at her chest and gave her a hungry look, "you sure are perky," he continued a tad gruffly and came crashing back to her lips, pushing at the hem of her jersey and pulling it off her head and continuing their kiss. He then started nipping at her jaw and her neck, and then looking right at her he sought her permission before looking down at her chest. He took a good long look and groaned and latched hungrily on them, driving Hermione crazy with need.

Soon she was tugging at his t-shirt, throwing it away when he shrugged out of it and kissing every part of his broad brawny shoulders and chest, moaning at every touch of his. Finding her as hungry as him, Charlie pushed his hand in her shorts, digging in her core with one finger as she bit into his shoulder at the pleasure of the new sensation. And Charlie froze again when he felt the barrier just ahead of his finger.

That acted like a cold shower on all his passion and he realized what he was about to do and with whom! He looked at the girl all soft and warm in his arms and he knew he couldn't do that her. She had her entire life ahead of her and he did not want to be the one to hold her back. He cursed himself for acting on his impulses and taking things so far with the one woman he probably should not have been touching at all!

Hermione felt Charlie go all rigid on top of her and looked at him questioningly. He looked at her hazy eyes and cursed himself some more before pulling his hand back and balancing himself on his elbows above her so he wouldn't crush her with his weight.

"Hermione… we can't do this. You're so young. You're a virgin. If we do this, it will make our marriage permanent." He looked at her as if willing her to understand his predicament.

Hermione snapped out of her haze at once. And all her previous rage was back with vengeance! "Of course! How did I not see this coming? You don't want to be tied down to me all your life! I mean come on, why would you? It took a Bulgarian to help my best friends realize I'm a girl! And now you! You're just something else, aren't you? Why did you even agree to this? You have a problem with everything about me. My age, my size and now my lack of experience in bed. And I feel like a stupid for not guessing this earlier. I mean come on, what husband in his right mind would willing take his new bride's virginity on their marital bed?" she asked him sarcastically and then pushed at him and moved out of the bed. Head held high, she looked around for her jersey. Finding it a little way away, she wore it as soon as she reached it.

"Good bye Charlie. Nice talk!" she threw at him as she made her way towards the door. She was barely three paces away when she felt a force tugging her backwards and the next thing she knew she had landed on the bed on her back. Charlie locked her in with his arms and looked straight into her eyes.

"Do you really want this? Us? Always?" he asked searching her eyes for a true answer.

"Let me go Charlie," she bit back angrily, eyes shining in her fury.

"Damn it witch! Tell me. Is this what you want? You and me. Permanent. In the true married sense?" he asked hotly, eyes shining with his own barely controlled emotions. "If we do this, then that is it. We'll be consummating our union. There'll be no return."

"I don't know about you Charlie but when I said 'I do' earlier today, I crossed that point already. Now, get off me before I hex you into the next year," she dug her palms into his shoulders to make him back off.

He half smiled at her in amusement, looking her up and down. "Feisty, aren't you?"

And she saw red! She whipped out her wand and threw a canary hex at him. And he simply waved it away with his hand. "You'll need better spells to hex me witch. Now, tell me are you sure about this?"

"Get off me you.. you.. you.."

And he laughed. "Need some help with a few bad words there?" He brought his mouth down on hers and kissed off her reply as she fought under him.

Try as she might, she could not stop herself from responding for too long and soon he had her melting against him. When she was finally panting and slithering under him, he tore at her jersey and attacked her breasts again. Soon they were both rising to fever pitch as he made his way down again, slipping his fingers deep inside of her, setting a slow pace that he gradually picked up. When he could finally move three fingers in her with a little ease, he stopped his ministrations to enjoy her flushed form sprawled naked under him while she lay there, gathering her breath from her second crash.

"You really want this Hermione? After this there is no return. Not ever. You'll only ever have me forever. I won't be sharing."

"I will hex you. I will study for the worst one and come back here to hex you if you ask me that once more. Irrespective of if we do this or not, I will not be doing anything with anyone else ever again. Holy matrimony means something to me. _Unlike_ _you!_ " she spat out angrily.

His eyes turned a very dark shade of blue black at her declaration. And a look of pure lust came over him as he pulled her shorts down and spread her legs apart, firmly embedding his own legs between them.

He pushed at his sweat pants as he came to sit between her legs. "Brace yourself witch. This might sting a little bit," he said roughly. Hermione looked up at him, her hungry gaze taking all of him in and suddenly she wasn't so sure any more. "Charlie I'm…" she started.

"Scared?" he mocked. Then seeing the fear etched in her eyes, he whispered softly, "Don't worry love, I'll go slow," and he began kissing her again. When he felt her relax again, he guided himself in her with utmost care and concern, watching her face intently for signs of discomfort or pain. And she closed herself up on him.

"I'm scared. I'm scared," she rambled, eyes shut. "They say it hurts a lot." Her fear evident in her voice.

He pulled himself out and tugged her towards him, making her sit on his bed while hugging her close. "We don't have to do this love. I understand. We'll continue only if you want to but if we do, I promise I'll be as careful as I can. I won't hurt you anymore than this has to," he whispered to her softly, running his one hand on her back even as he pet her hair with the other one.

"I… I want to…." she said then shyly, avoiding his eyes and missed the soft smile he gave her.

"Then that's what we'll do love," he said and kissed her again, gently pushing her back to lay down on the mattress as he repositioned himself. He got her to relax yet again and then when she was where he needed her, he entered her again, a little slowly at her entrance and when she willed him on, in he went with a deft stroke, freezing above her, afraid to move, not wanting to hurt her any more than he already had. He rubbed her comfortingly over her sides and slowly she relaxed under him again and nodded for him to continue. He smiled at her innocent gesture and kissed her softly on her lips and waited till she responded. He deepened and hardened the kiss and only when she was kissing him back with fervour, knotting her hands at his nape and pressing his face closer to hers, he began moving in her, slowly, carefully, building up her tension, wanting her to enjoy this first time of hers; this first time of theirs. _Together._

And she did! He took her till her peak again before fastening his pace but not by much and slowly they both tumbled down from their ecstasy. They were lying there in each other's arms when he felt Hermione tense up under him.

He scrunched his nose as he pulled himself back up on his arms, still panting a little, "What now, witch?"

"We didn't use any contraception!" she replied, eyes bulging with fear.

He smiled at her response. "Don't worry, I'm under a spell. I have an active sex life and I don't need the heartache of an out of wedlock child," he shrugged and rolled beside her as her face fell.

 _What is it with my mouth running away from me where she is concerned?_ he thought darkly, using wandless magic to clean them both off.

She quickly sat up after that and froze again. "You tore my jersey. How will I go back now?"

"You sure rant after the deed!" he said a little agitatedly. Getting up, he walked till his wardrobe, pulled out his first Gryffindor jersey and threw it back at her. "Next time you want to sport men's wear, raid my wardrobe not my brother's. Can't say I like to see my wife in some other man's shirts."

He saw her smirk as she pulled on his jersey and her shorts, wincing a little as she did that. "You alright? Is it hurting still?" he asked, pulling on his sweatpants.

She blushed. "Not much." He nodded. "Charlie I… I think I must go. Ginny must be looking around for me."

"No, she is not. No one is. I made them forget we are here. I also spelled our room out. If anyone comes this side with the intention of coming in, they'll remember some other urgent task and go back. And just so you know," he added a little mischievously, "I thankfully sound proofed it too," he spoke smugly, his eyes letting her know he remembered every single embarrassingly loud moan he had elicited out of her!

"You're just too much," she said hotly, colour running high on her cheeks.

"You'd know," he came right back and winked at her. "You're amazing by the way. I.. I look forward to being married to you."

She dipped her head down, feeling the heat in her cheeks and looked everywhere but him. "I have to go now," she whispered to him softly, still looking keenly at the floor.

He nodded. "I'll be out most day working with the tents and the tables for tonight's big dinner and then running errands for Bill's wedding but I'll come in to check on you when I can. Just.. take it a little slow today. You.. you might be sore."

"And you're not helping!" she bit on her lower lip.

He grinned, "And yet, I could've sworn I _helped you_ at least three times today," he said, smug again.

And she dashed to the door.

"Hermione, wait. I.." he took in a deep breath. "Hermione, I promise you my fidelity," he said, in a clear, sure voice. He looked at the big blotch of blood on his bed and then at her, right in her eyes. "There'll only ever be you after this. No one else. Until death doth us part. I promise," he repeated.

She smiled blushingly and ran out of his room. He hit his head back on his bed, going through the entire morning. It hadn't quite panned out how he had thought it would but he'd enjoyed it way too much. She didn't know what a big change he'd promised her. He laughed, the guys at the reserve were sure gonna hit the roof to see him, a man who took at least three different women to bed every week, abstaining. But he didn't mind. His bride was fun, feisty and eager to learn. He smiled at that. _This is going to be very interesting._

!

Hermione tiptoed back to her room after washing herself up in the common bath. Ginny was up and way too excited about that night's big dinner and next day's wedding and after that Hermione barely had time to think about her morning and she preferred it that way, not wanting to guess and second guess at everything.

!

Charlie was just getting down when he saw the two girls leave their room, making their way down in front of him, for breakfast, sitting opposite each other near the left corner. Hermione had left one seat on her left vacant. _For Harry and Ron, on both her sides,_ he realized, smiling.

"Merlin, I feel like I could eat an entire camel right about now," Hermione groaned in hunger.

Charlie smirked, s _ex sure makes her hungry_ he thought, making a mental note to start stocking biscuits in his cupboard from then on.

Just as he was about to join the two girls, the twins came into the dining room through the kitchen.

"Ravenclaw," George said.

"Gryffindor," Fred returned.

And that went on till they plopped on the two vacant seats around Hermione, while Charlie took the one beside Ginny.

"Her..mio..ne," they sang in unison and Ginny perked at that for some reason.

"Twin trouble," she returned without bothering to look up from her pile of toast and tea, probably not even realizing Charlie had sat down too.

"So what are you two fighting about so early in the morning?" Ginny asked, while fixing her cereal.

"We were wondering what house," George started, "Hermione's kids would be sorted into at Hogwarts," Fred finished. Hermione choked on her tea and then spluttered some more when she saw Charlie sitting beside Ginny. And Charlie knew exactly where this all was coming from!

"I feel any child of Hermione's would just have to be in Ravenclaw. I mean come on, she is bound to marry someone as smart as herself. So with all her and his smarts," George looked at Hermione first and then at Charlie while saying that, "the child would just have to be in Ravenclaw," replied George.

"But I feel that despite her smarts, she is a Gryffindor and the father of her kids would just have to be a Gryffindor too, cause let's agree that no one short of that would be courageous enough to _take her on for life_ ," Fred elaborated looking meaningfully at Charlie, "so their child would have to be in Gryffindor too," Fred replied, making Ginny's eyes widen at that.

"Oh sweet Merlin! Which one is it?" asked Ginny, fixing Hermione with a pointed gaze.

"What?" choked out Hermione, going all pink in the face.

"You must be dating one of them. Which one is it? Fred or George?" Ginny asked again, making the other four at the table go still for a second.

"What!?" Hermione said again, as if all the other words had left her.

"I don't know how I didn't see this earlier, you're wearing a Gryffindor quidditch jersey! And they called you Hermione not Granger! How could you not tell me you were dating my own brother?"

And Hermione floundered again.

Before Charlie could even get a word in, Fred started, "What makes you think the jersey is ours?"

"Apart from Percy everyone in our family has been on the team," George finished with a very pointed look at Charlie.

"Has to be one of you! Fleur would have her hide if it was Bill's. It says Weasley at the back so it isn't Harry's. Ron joined the team just last year, this one is a bit small to fit his current frame. I know it's not mine. So it has got to be one of yours, who might I add have been on the team since your first year, explaining the size of the said jersey," Ginny reasoned, practically glowing with her deductions and at the prospect of knowing such a secret between her friend and her sibling.

"You know you have one more brother who captioned the team right?" Fred asked.

"The same dolt sitting just beside you right now, by the way," George elaborated for her helpfully.

"Oh please! We all know how possessive Charlie is. He never shares his jerseys! Ever! I mean come on, he didn't even lend one to Bill that one time he wanted it, so why would he give it to Mione?" Ginny replied, staring George down.

"Why indeed?" Fred mused, throwing a very naughty look Charlie's way.

"You caught her right sister. There's no point in hiding it anymore, my dear," George replied, looking at a very blushing Hermione beside him.

"I think it's time we let them all know," Fred said and pecked her on her lips.

Hermione froze and Charlie saw red.

"They are family after all, they need to know everything," George winked at Charlie and pecked Hermione too.

The next thing they knew, Charlie had rounded the table and was pulling the laughing twins by their collar, "Come on lover boys, we have work to do," he bit scathingly at them, and pulled them out to get started on the tents.

The minute they were out of ear shot of the girls, Charlie had both his brothers pinned to the wall with their collar, one in each hand.

"What do you know and how?" he glared.

"We saw you leading your blushing bride to your room holding her hand tenderly," said Fred, with a lot of gushing.

"And the next thing we knew she was tiptoeing out of the common bath, hours later wearing your jersey," George winked at him.

"We're sure you charmed us all in the interim," Fred added.

"To ensure privacy for all your love making," George completed, wagging his eyebrows suggestively.

"So now that you've taken her on for life, we'd like to congratulate you for your finest decision ever," they both said together.

Then Fred said, suddenly serious, "And we'd like to warn you that if you ever hurt her," "we'll make pranks with the sole intentions of hurting you in return," George completed, in much the same demeanour as his twin.

Charlie just looked at them oddly, cocking a brow.

"She's like a baby sister to us," they both shrugged.

Charlie smiled at that and put them down and suffered their relentless teasing all through the day.

!

Hermione kept her head low for the whole day after that and worked at whatever was asked of her. She was a little sore and all through the day she was discreetly rubbing her thighs together for a little bit every now and then.

Charlie saw her working in the kitchen with Ginny, with Hermione trying to be very discreet about her intimate moves when he came home for lunch that afternoon and he marched up to his room in slight annoyance.

She was alone in the kitchen peeling the potatoes by hand, mentally going over the new tasks assigned to her by Mrs. Weasley, when Charlie walked in on her, about two hours later. "I thought I asked you to take it slow today," he said and lifted her up from where she was standing, then shoved her into a chair at the kitchen table. He pushed a mug of what smelled like coffee to her and handed her a small vile of a pinkish liquid that had a tiny 'drink it' sticker on it.

She looked at him all confused and he returned the look with haughty disdain. "What confuses you witch? The coffee or the instructions?" He took her place at the counter and with a wave of his hand, had all the potatoes peeling themselves. _Now why didn't I think of using magic?_ Hermione chided herself. She choked on her coffee when he turned around and asked, "What next?"

"To add some sugar to this. How can you even think I'd drink this crap?" she gasped between fits of breathless coughs.

Smirking, Charlie spelled the sugar container towards. "I like mine black and sugarless. But I'll remember to only ever give you hot chocolate now on." He waited until she stirred her sugar in and then asked again. "What's your next task, witch?"

Raising a brow at his repeated question, just to see how long he would continue, Hermione dictated all of hers and then all of Ginny's tasks to him and he worked on them all, one after the other. Right when he was finishing up the last bit of his work, Ginny pranced in.

Taking in the relaxed form of Hermione sipping on a big mug and seeing Charlie working at the counter, she smiled. "Oh Charlie, that's so sweet of you to finish up for us. You know, you've always been the most thoughtful brother of them all. Thank you, now Hermione and I'll have more time to dress up for tonight's dinner." Ginny hugged and kissed him on the cheek, urging Hermione to come as soon as her drink was done and went back up.

"So, is there anything else witch?" Charlie asked, hands folded in front of his chest, leaning his hip on the kitchen counter, trying real hard to not look sheepish, all the while laughing inside at his new wife's prankster side. _No wonder she gels well with the twins!_

"No, that was the last one. After this I was to go get dressed," she replied, embarrassed at being caught.

"Need my help with that?" he asked seductively and she turned a nice shade of Weasley red. He smirked.

"No, thank you. I.. I think I can manage."

"Too bad," he whispered a tad huskily giving her a burning gaze. Then keeping a straight face, still laughing inside, "I better not see you busy again," he warned and walked out of the kitchen, laughing in earnest when he was sure she couldn't listen.

Hermione smiled at Charlie's weird way of bossy helpfulness. She finished her coffee and gulped down the potion. Five minutes later she felt energized enough to do cartwheels all around the Burrow. She ran up the stairs in glee at that thought.

Charlie saw her from the den and half smiled. The soreness had subsided. He'd brewed her his own special potion. He knew it would work on her. It got rid of all his dragon keeping sores, so he was sure it would help her too.

Though unfortunately for him, the twins had seen the entire debacle in the kitchen. And they caught his looks now too. "Why is it always you two?" he groaned as they laughed and teased him mercilessly by making whipping sounds for a very long time.

!

By four in the evening everyone was waiting for their chance to bathe and dress for the 6pm dinner.

"No! Absolutely not! I am not queuing up behind you Ginny," Ron was furiously arguing with Ginny outside the common bathroom's door. "Once you step in, you never come out. I'd never be ready on time," he explained, his anger turning him red and redder.

"Relax Ron!" George hushed, stepping out of his room. "The little lady needs to look pretty for her lover boy."

"What! Who is it? Ginny if your dating someone, I'll kill him," Ron spoke agitated, just as Harry stepped out of the bathroom.

"This should be interesting," mused Fred, crossing his arms in front of his chest, leaning on the other side of their doorframe from George, both sniggering while Ginny and Ron bickered and Harry stood there flushed, caught between the cross-fire.

"Oh, SHUT IT!" hollered Hermione, stepping out of her room. "What the hell is all this ruckus about?"

Pin drop silence ensued after her howl. Ron was red but daren't talk to an angry Hermione. Ginny and Harry took that chance to eye each other up and Fred and George lost no opportunity to bring on some mayhem.

"Actually, Grang–Hermione, we have a problem. We're six of us with one and a half hour to dress and just one bath to use," George informed, going straight for the kill.

"So, why don't you and Gin move to Charlie's bath and use that?" Fred suggested with absolute innocence.

"What?!" shrieked Hermione.

"Hey, that makes sense. Fleur and Gabrielle are using Bill's so you two can definitely move to Charlie's and we four can then bathe in peace here," Ron agreed.

"Mione, that is a good idea, coming from your boyfriend. He so thinks so much of your comfort," Ginny teased. Ron looked flummoxed and Harry's eyes widened enough to fall off, before he physically shrugged himself and almost pushed Ron in the bath before he could get up on a rant.

"You know she's only yanking your chain," Harry whispered to Ron and shoved him in the bath. "Mione, go ask if Charlie is alright with it."

"Why me?" Hermione squeaked, "Gin can go."

"I.. need to have a word with Ginny." That got an interesting response. Ginny flushed a nice shade to match her red hair, Fred and George wolf whistled and Hermione couldn't hide her big grin.

"Please," Harry urged her, almost pushing at her shoulders.

"Fine," Hermione smiled and walked up the stairs, as Harry led Ginny towards her bedroom, winking at Fred and George on his way out, mouthing "We've got to try, right?" The twins solemnly nodded and winked right back at him.

!

Hermione knocked and knocked at Charlie's door but no answer came. Finally Bill opened his door and saw her there.

"Hi there! Can I help you?"

Hermione blushed, understanding exactly how this must look to Bill. "Actually, the common bath's over-crowded, so we, Ginny and I, were wondering if we could use the bath in his room. We all need to dress up," Hermione explained, blushing more with each word.

Bill smiled at her obvious discomfort but tried his best to help. "I would've offered mine but Fleur and Gab have called dibs on it till tomorrow evening. But since he isn't answering the door, may he isn't in. Go right in and use it, I'm sure he won't mind." Hermione nodded and walked into the room, more to get out of the conversation with Bill than her desire to be in there alone. She'd be happier if she used the bath with Charlie's permission, so she was caught, not to mention she hadn't really carried her stuff upstairs with her. Softly banging her head on the closed door, Hermione wondered what she was to do next when a seductive baritone of voice broke into her musings.

Charlie was in the shower when Hermione was knocking on his door due to which he didn't hear a single knock. When he stepped out of the bath, rubbing at his wet hair, the towel in his hands the only piece of clothing on his person, he saw the door open. Instinctively he wrapped the towel around his waist just as he saw Hermione enter and softly bang her head on the door.

"Having that good a day witch?"

Hermione spun around in full speed and then froze on seeing Charlie in just a towel.

On seeing her frozen in her stupor, he furrowed his brows. "You've seen more than this just this morning, snap out of it!" Charlie ordered and strutted towards his wardrobe. Facing his back to her, he dropped his towel and pulled out a pair of boxers from a drawer.

 _Of course! Why would he bother to hide? He has the body of a fucking Adonis!_ Hermione thought darkly as she averted her gaze.

"Did you drop in to just check out your goods or did your visit have a purpose?" he asked without turning around.

 _My goods?_ Hermione cleared her throat to speak and started, "I … I need.. I mean.. there's too much… so I was wondering…"

Charlie turned, while buttoning up his dress shirt and twisted his hand towards Hermione and summoned her to him. Again, Hermione felt the same pull she had in the morning as she was pulled from her spot by the same door, just this time she was shoved into Charlie's hard, toned chest instead of his bed. Charlie held her flush against him, close to his chest, waved his hand at the door, getting it to lock and then turned to look down in her eyes, backing her up till his wardrobe and imprisoning her between it and himself. His one hand was at her waist and one close to her face, resting on the wardrobe and his intoxicating musky, woodsy scent was driving Hermione insane.

"What do you need witch?" he asked huskily close to her ears and Hermione felt her tummy flutter.

"I.. I.. we.." she rambled just as Charlie smiled at her and was bringing his head down to kiss her, nuzzling his way from her forehead till her lips; while she, still unaware of his move, kept on talking, "I mean Gin and I .." That stopped Charlie. _Talk of a buzzkill_ he thought darkly.

"Ginny? What do you want Hermione?" he drawled laconically.

"Bathroom!" she gasped out. "We need to use your bath. To get dressed." She expelled a breath she didn't know she was holding and finally looked up at Charlie and again her breath caught in her throat, seeing just how close to her he was.

"Alright. Kiss me and you can have it."

"What?!"

"You're vocab is really going down the drains after marriage, isn't it?" Charlie chuckled, then looking at her with a sultry expression, he repeated, "Kiss me and you can use the bath."

Hermione dry swallowed but couldn't look away, his eyes coaxing her to get closer to him, close and closer still as she placed her hands on his shoulders, near his nape and then her lips finally met his. She nipped and nibbled at his soft lips, getting him to open his pout for her. He groaned and tightened his grasp around her waist, pulling her closer to him, angling his head to give her better access as he lifted her up a little to make up for their height difference. They were kissing with absolute passion, both forgetting everything around them when finally a knock cut through Charlie's hazy mind.

"Fuck," he growled in complaint and Hermione bit her lower lip, trying to quell the feeling of disappointment rising in her. "I could just kiss you all day," Charlie whispered in her ear and playfully nibbled at the lobe as the knock sounded again. "What?" he barked looking at the door, suddenly angry, remembering why they had to break their amazing kiss.

"Uhm.. Charlie. Ginny is looking for Mione. Is she in there?" Harry said from the other side, keeping the farce on since he absolutely knew for sure Hermione was inside. _It was his idea after all!_ Hermione rolled her eyes.

Charlie took in a deep breath. It wouldn't do for him to hex the boy who was to kill Voldemort just because he interrupted a kiss with his wife. _But what a kiss that had been!_

"Gimme a minute," Charlie said instead and let Hermione slip out of his hold. Turning to his wardrobe, he pulled out his trousers and wore them, unhurriedly shoving a neatly folded tie in his pocket. All the while Hermione studied the floor under her feet.

"Summon your stuff and dress up here. I'll leave now but tonight we'll continue from where we left," Charlie winked at her and pecked her lips again as he walked towards the door and waved at the lock and held his hand out towards his desk and his wand went flying to him.

"Harry," he greeted, opening the door. "Tell Ginny Hermione's hopping in the shower. She can come along, I'm just leaving," Charlie replied in friendly tones. Just before both the men were leaving, Charlie turned around and looked at Hermione.

"Wear something blue for me tonight at dinner," he said.

"What?!"

Chuckling, Charlie gave her an amused look. "Wonder when that extensive vocab of yours will be back." Then shrugging he said, "Blue's my favorite colour. I think it'll look good on you." Harry agreed and hid his smile when Hermione went on to speak and Charlie cut in, "Use your wand if you don't have a dress in blue. I'm sure for a bright witch like you, transfiguration shouldn't be too hard a task," and he left with that.

Hermione didn't know whether to be annoyed with Charlie's sass or to give in to her tummy's new fluttering desire and succumb to her husband's charms. _Ha! As if that's even a choice!_ a voice in her head nagged as she laid down her summoned things on Charlie's bed, thanking the stars above that he had fresh sheets on, not the blood stained ones from the morning! Then she rolled her eyes at her unflattering thoughts and moved in to the bath before Ginny came in.

Hermione walked out wearing a mid-night blue knee length dress with silver high-lights, beside Ginny who was all adorned in green, the shade a perfect match to Harry's eyes, Hermione mused secretly. Both girls made their way till the dining room, hand-in-hand, talking each other's ears off and were greeted by a hush that erupted noisily just as soon as it had fallen.

"You two look gorgeous!" the twins spoke together, making the girls smile.

"You really do," Harry agreed, eyes lingering on Ginny for a second too long. Hermione quickly disengaged herself from Ginny's side and moved away, giving Harry and Ginny some semblance of privacy.

Hermione looked around the room and immediately found the one she was looking for. Charlie. He was standing in a corner, arms folded in front of his chest, shirt pulled tight across his shoulders and arms because of his stance. And he was regarding her with absolute _intensity_ , the darkening of his eyes the only communication between them, as his eyes raked over her body, taking in every minute detail about her. Too lost in his dark eyes, Hermione didn't even realize when someone guided her out to the big tent where the dinner for the night was set.

The evening was pleasant enough but Hermione was bored out her wits and seeing most of Fleur's part-veela cousins hitting on her new husband while he was being the epitome of a true gentleman pulling out their chairs and replenishing their empty drinks while only looking at her through passing glances, was not helping her any. Fuming in her anger and then some for getting angry at all, Hermione finally excused herself after dinner and made her way to the homestead, not planning on going back again for the night. _At some point I have to agree that it's enough!_ "I'm not a glutton for self-punishment," she murmured to herself as she entered the house and made her way upstairs towards her room.

Charlie had her up in his arms by the time she was on the third step. "Finally! I thought you'd never get out of there alone!" he said tightly.

"Charlie!" she shrieked. "Put me down. What if someone sees us?"

"I'll obliviate them if I have to," he replied curtly, as he carried her up the remaining steps to his room, neither breaking a sweat nor breath, as if she weighed nothing.

Once he had the door shut behind them, he set her down. Pulling out his wand he threw a few different spells on the door and then turned to Hermione.

"There. Now you're finally mine for the night and I can tell you exactly how pretty you look in blue," he whispered close to her ear and she shivered at his words. "Are you still sore, love?" She shook her head. He smirked, "Good, I need you fighting fit through the night," he continued huskily, pulling his tie loose and tossing it on the floor.

Then he worked at the buttons around his cuff and pulled Hermione close to him. "Do you want to do this Hermione?" he asked, letting her decide for herself. She nodded. He smirked wickedly, thanking his lucky stars.

"By Gods, you look beautiful tonight witch. My heart actually skipped a beat when I saw you downstairs," he started his seduction by those words and had Hermione melting with just a few more chosen ones.

"Undress me. Show me how eager you are.." he whispered and brought her close to him, his hands resting at her sides, spanning her waist. With shaky fingers, Hermione undid all of his shirt buttons and pushed the shirt off his broad shoulders, kissing and nibbling every part of him she could. Charlie worked his way to where he expected her zip to be and groaned when he felt way too many small buttons. "You tease," he chided. She smirked while kissing his chest. "By the fucking fireballs! You did that on purpose to frustrate me further, didn't you?"

Hermione gave him a mock innocent look, shaking her head, "Don't know what you're talking about."

"'Course you do! You transfigured this dress such." He growled and muttered a 'finite incantatum' and the dress went back to its original form, a rich lavender with tiny pink flowers woven in the mix. And it had a zipper!

"Thank Merlin," Charlie whispered and pulled the zip down.

"Spoilt sport," she dared to call him.

"Naughty minx," he teased right back, pushing her dress to the floor. "Correction, sinfully hot naughty little minx," he said and eyed her up hungrily. Stalking, he moved towards her and she tracked a step back for every one step he took, finally landing on the bed on her ass and back with a thud.

Charlie smiled. "How do you want to do this? Any preferences? Or rather, fantasies or curiosities you want to satisfy?" he asked.

"How do you like it?" she asked, not knowing what she wanted, she figured they could try it his way.

"Hard and fast."

"Is that how you always do it?" she asked interestedly.

"Well, yeah. Usually it's hard and fast. If I like the girl enough I get her to stay the night and follow it with soft and slow a few hours later. And if she's really good then once in the morning before I kick her out on the curb and leave for work," he answered candidly.

"Why no lasting relationships Charlie?" Hermione asked him curiously.

Charlie sighed and sat by the edge of the bed, her soft tones urging him to talk to her. "Never found a girl who captivated me enough to want a repeat performance of the night before, forget about actually lugging her around for longer."

"I'm sorry, things changed so drastically for you," she whispered in such soft a voice that he wasn't even sure if she'd said it or his ears had rang. Then she spoke loud and clear, "Hard and fast it is."

"What?!"

She laughed. "Now who has a limited vocab?"

Ignoring her glib, he said aghast, "We can't go hard and fast! You were a virgin until this morning. We need to be careful."

"No we don't. I think I can take it. I can guarantee it that you won't harm me. So I want hard and fast. Let me also see what the big shenanigan is all about."

Charlie stared at the little slip of a girl in front of him and was lost in thought for a second before she threw her bra in his face and sheer primal hunger took him over. He tore off her last garment - her knickers, saying, "I like lace better than virginal cotton."

"You're too high maintenance," she chided.

"Oi! You took me on for life. No backsies," he teased and gave her a complete version of his hard and fast routine, just bringing the heat down a few notches so as not hurt her. But her delicious sounds of enjoyment more than made up for it as far as Charlie was concerned. When they came crashing back to earth, they laid in each other's arms and slept off their exhaustion contently.

Charlie stirred a little after 1 AM and tried to wake Hermione up to send her back to her room. He could hear the reverberating silence in the house and knew now was the best time for her to leave without them being caught. But when she woke up, everything changed for him…

"Mione… baby wake up.." Charlie whispered as loud as he could in the quiet of the late night, enough to wake her up but not so loud as to scare her awake.

Hermione woke up with a big smile. "I was wondering if you'd like me enough," she said, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"What?" Charlie asked, brows furrowed.

"You said if you liked the girl, you wake her up in the middle of the night. You woke me up. It means you like me," she explained smiling.

And Charlie felt as if someone had twisted a knife in his heart. Rubbing at the constricting pain he suddenly felt in his chest, he looked up at his new wife, taking in every minute detail about her. She'd given him her virginity not out of love, but because he'd married her and she refused to be with anyone else after that. She'd trusted him to not hurt her just because of his family name. She'd signed her life off to him and was now smuggling away from her friends to be with him, and he was almost treating her like a dirty little secret. He felt pathetic about his misdemeanor and vouched to place her happiness above all from then on. She was giving him way more than he'd expected or even thought possible, so he promised to himself he'd return the favor, many folds over.

"Hermione," he spoke softly, his eyes shining with a new gentleness, "baby, you're my wife. It's our first night together. If things were different, I wouldn't've let you sleep at all. I'd have gone all night long, eliciting moan after delicious moan from this delectable mouth of yours," he said and kissed her with all of his being, making all his promises to her with that one kiss. "I promise you love, one day, when we have all of this behind us, I'll give you everything you've ever wanted from your wedding and your first night."

The gentle look in his eyes, the sincerity in his tones, had Hermione's eyes brimming with tears and alas, one fell. Charlie wiped at the stray droplet with the pad of his thumb and crushed her inside his chest. _Don't cry love, I don't think I can see your tears_ his heart was saying but he didn't know what to say to her to get her to stop, so he did the only thing he knew. He spoke with his actions. Charlie bent his head down and kissed his wife with all his heart and for the first time in his adult life, he made soft and tender love.

With her.

Hermione Weasley.

Mrs. Charlie Weasley.

His wife.

He kissed every speck of her golden body. He studied her ever changing eye colors, adjusting his kisses and caresses from what he learned from their depths. He took the time to smell her hair, wrapping it around his finger as he felt its soft texture and then watched it as it bounced back to its place when he released it. He considered every response she made to all of his touches.

He took his time kissing her, and felt every part of her mouth under his. He nibbled on her lips, coaxing them to open up for him and he drank in her sweetness. He dueled with her tongue and surrendered his all to the sensations his little witch was evoking in him.

He peppered her with kisses and soft nibbles all over her body, complimenting everything about her he could see. He straddled her waist, taking care to keep his weight on his legs, as he showered his attention on her breasts, nipping and suckling her till she melted under him, kneading them as if his entire life depended on her sweet sounds of pleasure. He trailed his way lower, sought her permission before touching her at her most intimate part. Then he went lower still and peppered her legs with kisses and nips.

"You're beautiful my wife," he whispered as he sat back and took in her flushed, naked and aroused body, kissing it all over again.

"Ah, love, you hold me so snugly, as if you never want to let me go. I'd lose myself by just being buried deep in you," he whispered in her ear as he finally joined them together. He touched his forehead to her shoulder, gathering his racing thoughts at her tight grasp of his manhood and gave her time to adjust to the feel of having him in her all the way up till his hilt, not moving a muscle as he did so. He picked her hand off the bed and kissed its palm, then placed it on her stomach, just below her navel and above the dusting of her dark brown curls that hide her core. "Feel me as I move in you," he pressed her hand in. "I am making you mine Hermione," he said as he started moving in her slowly, "from now till the end of my days I will love you, cherish you, protect you and provide for you. I won't ever let you down love," he said and nuzzled her nose and then kissed her lips. He kept a slow rhythm to feel every single nuance of her body until she arched her back and bucked her hips, grinding it against his, making a request as old as time. And to that unspoken demand he responded. "Let me know if it hurts or gets too much for you okay?" he appealed to her in tender tones. She only nodded and he picked up his pace, going harder than he'd gone the last two times but not hard enough for him. _There'll be time enough for that later_ he thought and only concentrated on pleasuring his wife on their first night; though he soon realized that her pleasure triggered his own and satiated his needs. He kissed her slowly, languidly, _lovingly_ as she came and to his amazement her inner walls tightening furthermore on his cock was enough to bring him along too. He spurted every single drop of his essence in her, claiming her as his own. He hugged her close for a long time after that, until her walls loosened around him and finally let him go after milking him thoroughly for everything he could give. _I'll give you everything I can and more_ he promised her in his mind and kissed her forehead.

"You're simply amazing," he said out loud to her, not letting her know about anything that had just gone on in his mind. In stead he spoke solemnly to her, all his words laced with honesty for her to know he meant every single one of them.

"You're _my wife_ Hermione," he said as he rolled beside her on the bed, pulling her close to him. "Don't compare yourself to the women I've been with before you. None of them ever mattered to me. You do. From now till the end of my days, you will always matter the most to me, love. Never doubt that."

Hermione simply nodded, all her words having left her since Charlie had wiped her lone tear and pushed her into his chest. She took in a deep breath, breathing in his unique scent and closed her eyes, falling off to sleep almost immediately.

Charlie caressed his sleeping witch's hair as she slept in his arms and wondered how within the span of a day she had him twisted around her little finger. First he'd promised her his fidelity despite of knowing she'd be gone soon and now this. Their entire act of love making had intoxicated him, and he just knew, mind you, that nothing in his life would ever come close what had just transpired in his heart when he'd made love to his wife.

 _My wife._

 _Mine._

Only these words boomeranged in his mind as sleep finally claimed him too.

!

Charlie woke up a few hours later to the feeling of something warm on his chest and something hot on his centre. Opening his eyes he saw Hermione sprawled on top of him with her head on his chest, one arm around his neck and one leg thrown his waist, keeping her moist lady-part right on his manhood. _Hell I could get used to this!_ he thought, keen to just push himself in her in the same pose that she lay and get them both going hot and heavy immediately. Instead he carefully set her back on the bed and she turned around, pushing her ass into his groin. _By Gods is she trying to kill me?_ He gave in to his initial arousal and plucked at her nipples ideally to wake her up. Moaning in her half-sleepy state, she turned around giving him a better access. _Who am I to say no to such a blatant invite_ he smiled and latched onto her breasts, kneading them, suckling them and ever so often nipping them.

Lost in pleasure, Hermione opened her heavy lidded eyes and tugged at Charlie's hair. He came up and kissed her. "You doing okay there?" he asked concerned. She nodded. "Think you can take some more?" he asked then, his voice dropping and his low rumble doing wonders to her insides.

 _Hell yeah!_ Hermione wanted to scream but settled for a nod again. "Good," he kissed her again and then began all his delicious ministrations on her that had her moaning in pleasure.

"Hermione," he spoke in a gruff, aroused voice, "tell me what you want."

"What?" she croaked in her dry sleepy voice.

"Tell me what you want me to do to this sexy little body of yours. Make demands to me Hermione. I want you to speak your mind in bed just as you do everywhere else," he said looking into her eyes and her eyes bulged out at that daring prospect.

Seeing her inhibitions stamped clearly on her face, Charlie started kissing the underside of her breasts, "Do you like this witch?" he asked softly, between his butterfly kisses.

"Yes," she whispered.

"What else?" he pressed on, not ceasing his actions, but circling her nub with his dragon keeping roughened thumb, to increase the pressure on her.

"That! I definitely like that," she said, arching her back to get herself closer to him.

He smirked. "So you _definitely_ like this? Okay, what else? Tell me Hermione, and I'll do it all for you," he said in a seductively persuasive voice, as if he was a mind charmer. Which Hermione after sometime thought he really was!

"I like it when you nibble me here," she said shyly, pointing at the spot between her neck and shoulders.

"Like this?" he asked and she nodded, tilting her head to the side to give him better access. "What else love?" he asked, moving his thumb from her nub, pushing his middle finger deep in her, starting a slow rhythm that brought on a pulsating throb between her legs as she went on to tell him everything she liked and he did everything she asked for.

"Would you like to try a new position?" he whispered huskily in her ears then kissed her neck. She nodded eagerly, much to his amusement. "An academic through and through, aren't you witch?" he laughed as he patted her bum. "Turn around and kneel on your fours," he instructed. With one hand on her side and one under her navel, he positioned her core up right in front of his own throbbing shaft and entered her immediately from the back, plunging in right till the hilt and then withdrawing almost all out of her.

She moaned her pleasure at the new sensations coursing through as he shifted his angle and bent down to whisper near her ears. "Tell me if you want me to go faster or slower or I'll only continue this pace," he ordered.

Hermione supported her body on her hands and knees as Charlie held on tight at her waist, her legs feeling almost jelly-like with all the sensations coursing through her at their apex. Within half a minute she was begging him to go faster and faster still and he happily obliged, bringing their bodies together in a loud collision every time he sheathed himself in her completely. Lost to the world, Hermione only responded to the carnal needs of their mating and scratched his forearms in the sheer pleasure of all the sensations running rampant inside her. He smiled at her actions, happy to know he'd finally managed to make her forget all thought and do just that.

While basking in the glow of the aftermath of their love making, Charlie saw the weird expression on Hermione's face. "What now?" he asked, irately. _There's just something that's always on her mind!_

She winced at his tone but spoke nonetheless. "You think I'll get caught if I make a quick run to the kitchen?"

 _Kitchen?_ "What do you want _now_ Hermione?" he asked, mustering as much patience as he could.

"Don't get mad but.. I'm hungry!" she said sheepishly and he smacked his head with his hand.

"My apologies. I should've known you'd want to eat a camel right about now!" he chuckled and summoned the big box of biscuits that he'd bought for her while he had gone out during the day and hidden it in his wardrobe just for her mid-night hunger pangs. He also summoned a shirt of his and passed it on to her. "If you want to eat without me getting all handsy, wear it," he warned. She smirked and did as told and then hungrily ripped the box and pulled out biscuit after biscuit, moaning loudly at their tastiness.

"Hmm.. these are delicious! Where did you get these from?" She turned the box this way and that to catch the name.

"I had them made specially for you at Honeydukes. If you place the order and stick around for an hour, they do it for a few of their old customers. They used to sell them while I was at Hogwarts but stopped putting them on the shelf after the demands were too high for them to meet. Now they only make them on pre-order basis." Charlie was speaking to her but his eyes were thoroughly devouring her. Sitting there cross-legged on his bed, in his shirt that was positively drowning her, she looked radiant to him. His shirt's shoulder reached a few inches above her elbows and the sleeves went on for so long that she had to constantly pull at them to be able to use her hands for eating. Unfortunately for him, in her haste to get to the eating part, she had also kept the top two buttons open and he had a very good view of her luscious cleavage and the creamy top of her delectable breasts. Then, to top it all up, she was moaning in pleasure, tilting her head backwards and exposing the long column of her slender neck!

"Hmm…." She moaned deep in her throat. "I absolutely love them. By Gods, Charlie these are….."

And Charlie snatched the box out of her hands, ripped his shirt off her and plunged his two fingers right in her as he greedily lapped up her breasts.

"Charlie!"

"You can't make those come-hither noises and expect me stay put while you orgasm for those soddy biscuits!" he groaned bitingly and kept up his intimate caresses of her. He then pinned her down with a burning look and kissed her to fever pitch.

When she came around his fingers, he touched his forehead to hers and asked, "If I get you to come while I'm buried deep inside you, will you reward me witch?"

Her eyes snapped open at that and she looked at his handsome face, lit by the moonlight, the faint light highlighting all his sharp features and throwing him in a dangerously handsome mix of planes and shadows and she shivered. "What… what reward?" she breathed out huskily, unsure of what he may ask and if she'd be able to deliver.

"Will you scream my name when you come?"

Her breath hitched in her throat. "But… what if.. someone hears?" she whispered.

He could tell her that he'd silence spelled the room to such level that even the twin's extendable ears would be useless and that the spells would stay in place till 7 in the morning, she needn't worry; but he chose to say something very different.

"Are we committing a sin here that we need to hide from the others?" Then seeing the lingering doubts in her amber eyes he added, "Aren't we married love? Are we not supposed to be doing this?" Then he licked his fingers clean, those he'd pumped her with and moaned in ecstasy, closing his eyes as he savored the flavor and moved his hands to her breasts, kneading them with all the expertise he'd gained through his years of experience with the opposite sex. "Didn't my little spitfire tell me just this morning that she wanted to do this with me? Just me? Has she changed her mind now?" he asked in mock hesitant tones, but Hermione fell for it all.

"No I haven't. I still want this. With you. Just you."

He smiled at that. "So, will you reward me then?"

"Yes."

He gave a devilish smile at that and had her moaning in no time. When he plunged in her tight wetness, they both screamed for each other and Hermione continued taking his name with every masterful stroke of his until they both came one after the other and crashed into each other in the aftermath of their climax. Once Charlie gathered his breath, he rolled off her and handed her the box of biscuits back with a sardonic smile. "Eat them, before I go all horny on you again," he said and continued to look his fill at her while she hungrily munched on biscuit after biscuit in absolute bliss. "Soddy fucking biscuits," he muttered crudely under his breath.

!

"Is there a reason as to why you're staring at me like a hawk?" Hermione asked Charlie with a frustrated sigh.

She'd woken up half hour back to a very wet dream of having Charlie's head buried at her core, lapping her up and nibbling her _down there_ for all she was worth. She'd moaned and slithered and when she had tried to turn, she'd felt soft hair between her thighs. Her eyes had snapped open immediately and it was then that she'd realized that it hadn't been a dream at all! Her shock at seeing his red hair flopping down just under her navel had nothing on the climax that had followed a few minutes later and she'd shuddered in its aftermath while Charlie had crawled up above her, taking his own sweet time to kiss and caress every bit of her body that fell between her crux and her lips and then kissed her a very leisurely good morning. For the first time, she had tasted herself on him and the entire experience had left her… well wetter for more! When Charlie had slipped his calloused fingers in her during their kiss, her wetness had made him break away and stare at her in amazement.

"I thought I just lapped you up!" were his first words to her this morning. And she'd promptly flushed and pushed at him. He had laughed at her antics and pinned her wrists above her head with one big hand of his, all the while continuing his initial pumping of her.

"Is this really how much I affect you witch?" he had asked her softly. When she hadn't replied he had just continued his damned interrogation. "Tell me witch. Till the time you don't, you aren't leaving this bed," his voice promising absolute sensuous gratification, should she stay back in the bed with him.

"You either speak now Hermione or I make you come with the answer over and over again, all day long, it's your choice really," he had warned, eyes sparkling a deep, luxurious, opulent, dark blue.

"Yes," she had croaked, avoiding his mesmerizing gaze.

He had then nibbled at her jaw until she had succumbed to her needs and turned to face him again, eyes heavily lidded with arousal. "You affect me the same way," he had said and plundered her mouth in a way that had made her forget even the basics of breathing! And what had followed had them both screaming and panting in no time!

And now, an hour later, when she was finally let out of bed (with a lot of coaxing from her and a lot of distractions from him); from the sounds of it, she felt that the whole household was up with her! Her fears were gnawing at her insides while Charlie laid back on the bed looking absolutely nonplussed _._ It was that easy confidence of his that got to her, bringing her back to her earlier question.

"Why are you staring at me like that?"

He shrugged, eyeing her up again. She had transfigured her dress from previous night into one of her pajama bottoms and was sporting another one of Charlie's jerseys on top. _She looks irresistible in my jerseys_ Charlie kept thinking as she paced a hole on the floor between the bed and the door. "Nothing too severe. Just wondering why you've caught my interest so bad that I had to take you thrice through the night and then again go at it in the morning and yet feel as if I haven't had my fill of you. No other witch or woman has affected me this way."

"Charlie!" Hermione's eyes were ready to pop out.

"Ha! You're finally getting a hang of saying it. Cheers," he grinned at her.

Hermione huffed her irritation but blushed a deep red. "Are you gonna help me or not?"

"I made you a proposition. You rejected it," he said calmly.

"Spending the day with you in bed is not a valid option!"

"That's what most newly weds do," he carried on, just to see when and how she'd snap. "And validity of the idea would be the furthest thing from your mind if you just let me kiss you again," he winked at her lasvasciously.

She grunted and grumbled, mumbling incoherent words Charlie would've given an arm to hear just for kicks. When she began pacing again, he rolled his eyes.

"Hermione! Are you a witch or not?"

"What?!"

"Are we back to that again?" he started and then shook his head. "No! Don't say it again. Just answer my question."

She glared at him.

"Ah! Fine! Invisibility charm oh my bright witch!" he finally spoke, loosing his cool. "Use one on yourself and I'll walk you to your room. I'll keep Ginny busy, you slip into the bed and come out looking all ruffled and there! Sold!"

"You think she'll believe it?"

"You think she will if we tell her you spent the night with me?"

"Of course not!"

"So, of course yes! Where else will she think you'd be?"

"I don't know. The twin's room? She's really stuck with that one."

Charlie snorted harshly at that. "Don't remind me! Not the best moment of my life."

"Here," he threw her the pack of biscuits from the night before. "Have some before your ravenous hunger drives mine."

Last night when they'd done it the second time, Hermione had sudden heavy hunger pangs and seeing her twisted face, Charlie had summoned biscuits from his wardrobe. She'd hogged on with such glee that he'd actually snatched the box away from her after her fourth biscuit and feasted on her yet again before handing the box back, mumbling something very close to, "lucky fucking biscuits!" The whole thing had amused her to no end.

Instead of catching the flying box of biscuits, she _obviously_ ducked away and somehow managed to fall flat on her face while the box landed right on her ass. Charlie's laughter at that was uncontrollable. "So not one with a seeker's instincts then." He kept up his laughter till there was a loud knock on the door.

Charlie was still laughing while Hermione was scrambling around for cover, as he opened the door.

"Morning, groom," Charlie greeted a tad too merrily.

"You look good," Bill teased and walked right in.

"Oh, I'm just dandy! Love the new show that's being put up in my room," he laughed and shut the door behind Bill.

Before Bill could cock a brow, Hermione moused her way from under the bed. "Bill!" she greeted while stifling her groans as she tried to sneak out. _Such a little girl with so much space around her and she still manages to hurt herself._ Both the elder Weasley boys tried to control their laughs. Well, the eldest did, the second one just couldn't stop chortling.

"With the noise you two were making just an hour back, you're lucky there were one too many of Fleur's cousins staying over last night. We would've had it otherwise. That, plus Perce isn't here. Next time, re-do the silence charms the next morning. Though Charlie, I must say your reputation helps you here! A lot!"

"Hey!" Charlie warned, mirth shining in his eyes. "I'm a one woman man now. Don't talk crap about me in front of my new bride."

Hermione threw the first thing she could find at Charlie and with her great prowess at aiming it landed at the one part that was most way away from her intended target, on Bill's right shoulder; or at least it would've if Charlie hadn't jumped in and caught it before it hit Bill. "Seeker instincts," he laughed, spelling the glass to fly back to the table.

"Oh bite me!" she groaned.

"Sure! Where?" he came right back.

Bill cleared his throat. "Entertaining as this is, I feel like a third wheel between you two. Just came to tell you that breakfast will be out in ten. Be down or face the music." And then he added just as he was about to shut the door behind him, "be ready with a helluva cover story you two, if asked, spurt out the same one."

"Oh we've got it down pat," Charlie smiled. "Mine for me is 'a true gentleman never kisses and tells' and for her its 'how am I to know'. Sounds good?" Bill nodded. "Mione's is 'What?!' complete with a shocked expression and eye popping," and Bill ducked, just as Charlie caught the box of biscuits that came hurling towards them.

"My feisty little minx, aren't you?" Charlie threw her his most seductive smile and watched her flush scarlet.

The brothers were both in stitches, laughing when Hermione huffed past them, elbowing their stomachs on her way out. Charlie turned around to shut his door offering the box to Bill who followed Hermione down, casually draping an arm over her shoulders. "Thanks for the wedding gift Mione," he teased, "but next time try not to take a taste before giving it away," he said nibbling at the biscuits from the box.

Hermione glared at Bill, swatted his arm from her shoulder and walked two steps ahead of them and Charlie laughed harder. "That's why Bill the muggles have a gift registry!"

"Good custom," Bill nodded and offered some biscuits to Charlie.

"Thanks" he picked one. "At least you offered. Someone's been munching at them all night without even bothering to ask if I was hungry too, while I was the one who did most of the work," Charlie said looking straight at Hermione's head.

She turned around and climbed the two steps back towards him, glaring daggers at Charlie as she tilted her head way back to look him in the eyes and he bent his head down to do the same, aching to just kiss her and pull her back into his room for round two. "What the hell happened to a gentleman never tells?" she grumbled.

Charlie smirked. "Think of everything I did to you all of last night and this morning, witch, and tell me where exactly did I come across as a gentleman to you?" he asked her, his eyes shining a brilliant cerulean blue. And if looks could kill Charlie was sure his little witch would've wounded him deathly with hers just then.

"All of last night you say?" Bill cut in looking very mischievously at Charlie and then at Hermione and back again.

Hermione turned absolutely red in the face and ran off, as if the hounds of hell were behind her. Charlie watched her go with a silly grin on his face.

"Someone's smitten," Bill whistled and nibbled on the last biscuit in the box, vanishing the box in thin air after he was done.

"Darn right I am. My little wife is funny and feisty. Better than I could've ever dreamed possible," he said in hushed tones meant only for Bill's ears and they walked down to the dining room together, opting for a complete change of topic when they got near.

!

Hermione was pleasantly surprised at the new seating around the dining table. It was obviously extended to seat the whole of the Weasley family, plus their house guests around it, with the Delacorte and company on one side and the Weasleys on the other. But it wasn't that which caught Hermione's attention. What caught her attention was Harry and Ron sitting opposite each other with George beside Harry and Fred beside Ron, making the twins sit opposite to each other instead of together, but beside Harry sat Ginny! And Hermione couldn't have happier for them both. Grinning like a Cheshire cat, Hermione sat beside Ron with the seat next to her being vacant and looked straight at the new pair.

Before she could get a word across, Charlie plopped himself beside her while Bill took the seat beside Fleur on the other end of the table. And looking around Hermione realized it was a very cleverly thought of ploy. All the elders and other meddlesome beings were at the far end, the disinterested ones in the middle and the pranksters here. _Twin trouble_ her mind screamed while Ron was mumbling something to her.

"What?" she almost screamed but held back just in time, speaking in more clipped tones instead.

"I said did you charm Harry's stuff? You've been at it since the morning. So I thought that may be.." Ron trailed off at the confused look of Hermione's.

"What?" she asked again, in thorough confusion.

"Oh, not again! I'm fed up of hearing that word from you. You've been using the same damn word since breakfast last morning!" Charlie groaned. The twins and Ginny gravely nodded in agreement.

"I have an idea to remedy it," Fred suggested.

"Every time she says the word, one of us kisses her," George agreed.

"Aren't you two too far to reach her for the kiss?" Ginny asked, looking animatedly at the twins.

"We'll figure it out," Fred said.

"Should we need to," George agreed.

"That's one way to shut her up," Ron mused.

"What did you just…" she turned to glare at Ron.

And Charlie held her chin between his fingers, turned her face towards him and pecked her.

"What?!" she asked flabbergasted. And he repeated his action.

"What are you…." And he went again.

He put a finger on her lips then and said, "That's three kisses in less than thirty seconds. Should be enough to shut you up."

"What is that supposed to m…"

Charlie furrowed his brows in blatant amusement, "Apparently not," he said and pecked her again.

"Now, can you please stop saying that word? I'm hungry and I'd like to at least grab a toast before we go at it _again_ witch," Charlie said with a bite of sensuous laughter lacing his words.

"Wh.." she started but was cut off by Fred.

"Someone's in a rather good mood," Fred mused and waggled his brows at Charlie, looking at Hermione in passing. Charlie grinned at him.

"Got it good last night, Charles?" George asked, looking pointedly at the scratch marks on his forearms. Charlie understood.

"What can I say? The little _minx_ exploded my mind and burnt my sheets," he shrugged, unabashedly.

"Oh Charlie!" Ginny teased, her laughter a riot.

He laughed and winked at her, "That's what she said, all night long." That declaration was followed by a lot of wolf-whistling. Hermione's blush darkened.

"Well, who was she? How much of a veela? Full or part?" Ron asked excitedly.

"A gentleman never kisses and tells, now does he? Uhm, Hermione?" Charlie said. Then without turning to look at Hermione, he lightly caressed her thigh under the table while she was fumbling with her knife trying desperately to spread jam on her toast.

"What?" she shrieked and jumped at the sudden action, and he pecked yet again.

"You're being exceptionally naughty this morning," complained Hermione, groaning internally at her incessant blush.

He looked at her in astonishment, never expecting her to say something that provocative out loud with everyone around. "Want to punish me, do you?" he asked amused.

And she flushed a whole new shade of red before squeaking, "What?!" And he pecked her again, smiling naughtily at her.

"I think I like this game," Charlie laughed.

"What?!" and he pecked her yet again then served himself some baked beans.

"Choose your words wisely witch or I'll end up thinking you're liking my kisses," he advised with a mischievous gleam in his eyes. Then, he offered Hermione the pot of baked beans, "You want some?" She shook her head, promising herself to just use gestures till she got off the breakfast table.

Ron was not liking any kiss of Charlie's. "Why do you get to kiss her?" he finally snapped when he heard Charlie implying that Hermione liked his kisses and offering to serve her food. It looked too domestic for his peace of mind. Hermione was his friend and even he hadn't kissed her yet and he felt as if Charlie was making his moves on her now! Ron was angsty.

"I have better reflexes?" Charlie explained, a slight irritation entering his eyes if not his tone.

"So do I," Ron huffed in agitation.

"So you kiss her next then," Harry offered, knowing Charlie's reflexes were way better than Ron's.

"What?" Hermione almost choked on her food when she heard Harry say that.

And Charlie kissed her. Again. A second longer than before. And Hermione glared daggers at him. Again. And Ron turned redder still. Again.

"Can you please stop doing that?" she finally growled.

"I could but I don't think you want me to," Charlie replied cockily.

"What?!"

And he kissed her, longer still, then whispered cheekily, "Knew you wanted more."

"Stop it!" she finally snapped.

"Yes! Just stop it," Ron seconded her. "Haven't you had enough girls crying over you through the years? Don't make a move on my… best friend now!"

Charlie's eyes turned to glacial blue, but his easy demeanour did not change a bit. "I can't help it if your best friend enjoys my kisses," he shrugged.

Seeing Ron as her only supporter, Hermione uttered the next words with absolutely no thought. "No! I'm not enjoying your kisses. I don't want to be kissed like this! And if I've got to play this stupid game, I'd rather it be him," she threw at Charlie angrily. Ron promptly turned redder, his flush surpassing the red of his hair. And Hermione somehow just knew she'd angered Charlie. _It's probably his icy glare_ she thought.

"Go ahead, witch. Try it," Charlie challenged her. "You know the word, say it. I won't budge. Let him have a go," he goaded. "Just remember, it won't be the same," he whispered a tad harshly near her ears and turned to his plate, trying to reign in his internal fury.

"I'm not stupid. I won't say the word on purpose. I'm not looking forward to being kissed by him. I was just making a point," she bit back.

In less than a minute, Hermione had announced to his family that she'd rather be kissed by him than any of his brothers and yet within a heartbeat added that she wasn't really looking forward to kiss either; Ron, not knowing what to do in such a situation only kept turning redder still, while the twins gawked at the new shades he could achieve!

"Fine," Charlie said without looking up from his plate and continued with his breakfast.

Hermione was stumped at Charlie's easy give-up. "What? That's it? No fight?" she asked askance.

Charlie sat up straight but made no move whatsoever, just stared her right in the eyes while waiting for Ron to lean in to kiss her. After a pregnant pause, Ron did. He clumsily turned her to him and brought his lips down to kiss her. Charlie felt his blood boiling as he held the cutlery in his hand way too tightly. Everyone from their little group just watched the scene unfolding in front of them with bated breath.

Hermione sat petrified watching Ron inching closer to her as if in slow motion and at the last possible minute she turned her head and his kiss landed on her cheek. No one spoke a word. She went back to her breakfast and Charlie smirked a little ruthlessly.

"Did ickle Ronniekins kiss you well Hermione?" Charlie asked after gulping down a bite of his beans on toast.

"Oh, shut up Charlie," Ron grumbled.

"Yes, please do shut up Charlie," Hermione rolled her eyes at him as his smirk turned into a snigger.

"Told you," Charlie whispered in her ears and pushed some beans on her plate. "Give up on that jam and try this. They're healthy and tasty," he said and went back to eating.

!

The rest of the day passed much as the last one, only this time Hermione was sleepy instead of sore. Charlie was still working outside with Merlin knew what all and Hermione and Ginny slogged as slaves under Molly's orders.

Come 4pm, the girls darted out of Molly's sight to bathe and change. By unanimous consent the previous day's setting was carried forward. Ginny ran into Charlie's bath to get done first for she had elaborate dressing plans while Hermione lingered around waiting for her to come out. Once she did, Hermione stepped in and showered. Wrapped snugly in a big fluffy yellow towel, Hermione came out and froze. Not just had Ginny left, Charlie now occupied the room, and by the looks of it he was about to step into the bath himself as he was busy stripping.

"Are you going to speak or just gawk?" he asked angrily, back still facing her as he shrugged out of his shirt and stood tall in nothing but his sky blue boxers that had ridiculously small golden snitches printed on it, darting ever so slightly this way and that.

His anger out-threw her. "Are you angry at me?" she asked him innocently.

"You need to ask?" he bit back scathingly.

"Why?"

He turned to face her then and suddenly he was right in front of her. "You're _my_ _wife_ , and you look me in the eye and tell me you'd prefer to be kissed by my very own brother. In what country does that bode well for a marital relationship?"

"Oh!" Hermione understood. _He is still stuck on that?_

"Yes, oh! If only you hadn't lost your virginity just last morning, I'd have taken great pleasure in punishing you for that uppity sentence of yours."

"Why Charlie? Feel the need to spank me now, do you?" Hermione asked, forced by habit to open her smart mouth, knowing she was spoiling for a fight as she continued to goad him further with a clear derisive stare.

 _Fuck it!_ Charlie threw all caution to the winds and pinned her with a gaze that reflected all the anger he felt,. Leaning a hand on the wall, "No _muffin_ , nothing as easy as that. I'd have ripped you apart right where you're standing in a place where it really matters," he said and tugged at her towel with his other hand, getting it to fall on the floor around her feet as he sucked at his middle finger in front of her face then pushed it in her. "And I'd have only used my tongue and teeth for it."

"Charlie.." Hermione gasped at the sudden intrusion, her hands flying to his shoulders, clutching him for support.

"Yes. Charlie! Your _fucking husband!_ The only one who gets to kiss you silly. The only one who'll ever hear your moans and cries of pleasure. The one and only one you'll ever fuck. Is that clear to you Hermione?"

"Yes.." she agreed, nodding her head and moaning simultaneously.

"Good," he nodded. "Now tell me, do you wish for me to continue or stop?" he asked her in the same angry voice, really needing to continue, to work out his anger on her but not at the expense of inhibiting her in the bed.

"Continue," she blushed despite his evident anger.

He sucked in a breath through his teeth at her blush and took in a calming breath. "Whom would you rather kiss Mione?"

"Just you Charlie. No one else."

"You sure about that?"

"Positive," she smiled as he picked her up flush against him, continuing his strokes at her core as he carried her to the bed, while she wrapped her legs around his waist.

"Never say anything like that again," he warned before coming down to kiss her angrily, fiercely with a possessiveness that had her head spinning. He absolutely ravaged her in his anger, his hands and lips were everywhere. He gave in to his need for retribution and worked his way down to her core, pushing her legs far apart while hooking one on his shoulder, pulling lightly at her entry with both his thumbs and lapping her up hard but taking care to not hurt her in anyway. Hermione moaned his name in her bout of pleasure, arched her back and her neck and tugged at his hair, pushing his face closer to her wet heat.

Charlie smirked at the gesture and felt slightly pacified about the debacle. He continued till she came and then vanished his boxers before he aligned himself at her entry.

"Tell me you want me. Just me," he ordered looking at her, his anger still etched in his features.

"Oh, Charlie.. I want you. Only you, I promise," Hermione breathed and tried to placate her enraged husband. He really did not have any cause to worry she knew but she understood why he was angry. _I too would've been mad as a hatter if he'd told me he wanted to kiss someone else, whatever his reasons for that dialogue be,_ she reasoned and flashed him a smile, hoping it would work on him.

He thrust and banged in her with a force that rattled her teeth, but he held back the intensity after hearing her chattering teeth and went slow on her again.

"No, harder. Like you were doing," she gasped, liking the feel of it and somehow knowing that's what he needed to do just then. Charlie growled ferally at her request and went back to his previous speed with extreme enthusiasm. He possessed her with every single touch and kiss and by the end he was sure she would never doubt anything between them again.

He hugged her tight after they came and smiled at her dazed expression, "You're not supposed to enjoy your punishment minx!"

"Can't help it. You meted out a very pleasurable one," she whispered and buried herself in his chest, breathing in his warm musky and very male scent while enjoying the sense of being surrounded by him, feeling protected and cherished in his embrace somehow.

By the time they gathered their laborious breaths, Charlie wasn't angry anymore and Hermione wasn't in any doubt anymore. With the morning's episode she was sure Ron was out her mind _like that_ for good and only one man occupied her interest now.

 _Him._

 _Charlie Weasley._

 _My husband._

She thought and smiled.

"What are smiling about?" Charlie asked her, her lovely smile doing strange things to his heart. And she told him exactly what she was thinking of.

 _She wears her heart on her sleeves!_ Charlie wanted to shake some sense in her, worrying not for the first time about the trio's plan for the year, wondering how she'd survive it all when she was so… _pure and untouched and oh so fucking innocent!_

But by then she'd finished dressing and she kissed him on the cheek as a thank you for letting Ginny and her use his bathroom and she left, sauntering off downstairs and leaving a very speechless blue eyed ginger staring behind her.

After getting dressed, Hermione curled up in her favourite corner by the big window in the den, with Beetle of the Bard, the book left to her by Dumbledore. She felt someone sit right beside her. Used to the general level of activity and a very glaring lack of privacy at the Burrow, she did not bother looking up from her book and just continued reading. A few minutes later, she heard a distinct laugh and looked up to see two beautiful blue eyes shining with merriment and a handsome face laughing. He looked so good, just sitting there, laughing (at her probably), that she just stared at him mesmerized. The minute he saw her look, something in his eyes changed, turning them from a shiny cerulean to a much darker shade of blue, freezing his laughter in his throat. He sucked in a breath to calm himself and softly whispered "Not now, witch. The whole family is here," to her, never breaking their eye contact. Hermione felt colour ride up along her cheeks and she immediately looked down in embarrassment.

"Look at me, love," Charlie asked of his new wife. "Please."

She looked up at him with embarrassment written all over her face.

"No, no. None of that will do. We are married and you are allowed to look at me any way you fancy. It's just that I can't do anything about it now and that's the only reason I stopped you."

She blushed again. Looking at her curled up feet she muttered, "If you wish for me to look at you or speak with you, you will have to stop embarrassing me like this." It was just above a whisper but he heard her nonetheless and merely gave a curt nod with a slight twitch of his lips.

"I actually thought you would be curious about the wedding band so I came with some answers. Would you like to hear about it?"

Curiosity tingled in her eyes and she looked up at him at that, toying around with the invisible ring on her finger.

He smiled at that. "Well, it's actually a beautiful ring that I bought from a famous charmer in Romania. He has charmed it in such a way that it will be visible only and only when you want it to be. Whenever you are truly ready to make our relationship public, the ring will appear on your finger for you and the world to see. Till then, it shall remain invisible, just like our relationship."

Something in Hermione's heart turned at that. He had gone through great measures to make her happy while she had only treated this marriage as a means to an end. She gave him a small smile and whispered "Thank you, Charlie," meaning it not just for the ring but for everything he had been put through for her sake. He just smiled knowingly, as if he knew her thanks encompassed it all and not just the ring. "Anything for you, love. _Always_."

!

Just before the festivities of the wedding truly began and the first of the guests arrived, Ron caught Hermione alone. He simply tugged at her wrist and pulled her into a corner.

"Mione," he started, "I don't know what's going on but I do know something has changed. I am not asking you to confide in me, but I just…uhhh….. well I just wanted to tell you that I will be there for you, if and when you shall need me." Saying this he just hugged her, planted a kiss on her forehead, much like Harry had done the previous day and walked out to join in the wedding party. Hermione stood frozen on the spot for a few moments. Then, she smiled. And with new hope in her heart, she walked out the door towards the tent set up for the wedding, about to begin in the next 10 minutes now.

!

They had had to leave within seconds. She had apparated out of the Burrow without so much as a goodbye. She just fervently hoped that Charlie would understand. With that prayer on her lips, she squared her shoulders and gave all of herself into her mission that lasted for almost a year.


	4. Chapter 4

- **CHAPTER 03** -

He saw her on the battle field when he arrived there with Horace Slughorn and a long needed back up battalion, people he had recruited for the Order from Romania. She was a true Gryffindor lioness in her spirit. She threw off hexes and curses left, right and centre. She saved innumerable lives that day and after Harry had killed Voldemort, he saw her grieving innumerable losses as well. He just wanted to pick her up and hug her tight when he saw her quietly sniffling beside a young fair boy with a camera sticking out of his pocket.

Back at the Burrow, he saw her sit resolutely looking out the big window by _her spot_ without a book in her hands for the first time. It was that absence of the book that twisted in his heart. A few days later he saw her coaxing George out of his melancholy state. George, his brother, who had lost his twin, his other half and retreated inside a shell of his own. A week flew by, the papers were still agog with news of the golden trio, but the golden girl was helping build up Hogwarts in the day and trying to get George to set up the Weasley's Wizard Wheezes by the evening. In the midst of it all, she found time to help Harry with Teddy, and Ginny with re-doing the Grimmauld Place. How she managed it all, he had no idea. She was truly a force to reckon. In all this though, he had no chance to talk to her. Her days were way too full and the little time she slept, he hadn't the heart to disturb her.

One night, he sat alone in the kitchen of his childhood home, thinking of how to proceed from there. He heard footsteps and looked up expectantly. It was Ron. Ha! How he wished it was his little brunette witch coming down for a hot chocolate! But that was not to be.

"Hey Charlie! What are you doing up so late?" questioned Ron.

"Couldn't sleep. Too many thoughts running around my head. What about you?"

"Yeah. Me too. I mean, I couldn't sleep too. Got hungry again!" he harrumphed and started rummaging around, looking for something to nibble on. "Anyway, I'm happy I caught you. We need to talk."

"Really now," Charlie was instantly aware.

"Yeah. I do hope your intentions towards my best friend are honourable. I know it wasn't a love match but she'd be devastated to be put through an annulment on top of everything else."

Careful, to neither enquire about how he knew that it would devastate Hermione, nor to let him know that _annulment_ was not really a choice any more, he asked, putting on a casual demeanour, "what other things?"

"Oh I won't tell you that. Hermione would kill me. And trust you me, we'd rather fight Voldemort again than be on her wrong side when she's angry. She's scary, that one. But…she is one of my best friends and there's very little I won't do for her happiness. And I think you can make her happy. Oh thank Merlin! I thought I'd have to starve until breakfast…" Ron completely switched gears after finding a tub of chocolate ice cream in their ice box. He picked up two spoons and took the tub and set it on the kitchen table, handing a spoon to Charlie. Without further ado, he scooped out a spoonful of ice-cream and hummed his appreciation while eating it. "Hmm…so what was I saying, oh yeah… look Charlie, the war, our year on the run, it changed us a little. I won't give you any details for they are Hermione's to share should she want to, but she has lost touch with her parents, at least for the foreseeable future, so all she has is us and Harry, no family of her own. When we were on the run, we were captured once and she was brutally tortured." Charlie's hackles raised at that. "In fact, she still has not spoken to us about it. Then of course there was the war. And now she is trying to piece back her life together. She wants Hogwarts to be ready soon so that she can go back for her final year. She is forcing Harry and me too. We really don't want to specially since Kingsley has permitted us to join the auror program without our NEWTs. In spite of this though, we are considering going back just for her, to not abandon her. Knowing her, she'd probably find peace studying! Mental that one I tell you! Anyway, I digress, so yeah… If you wish to move out of her life, she will let you, easily, but please just choose a path soon. Don't let her invest her time and energy in you and then have you disappear. I know the circumstances of your wedding were not appropriate but I know you two and feel you both complement each other well. She'll keep you in line while you could get her to loosen up. It will require a lot of investment from your side and it definitely won't be a smooth ride, but hey, you do enjoy adventures, don't you?" saying that, Ron got up and washed up his spoon and left it on the kitchen counter. "Think about it mate," was his parting shot and he left, taking the steps two at a time, carefully avoiding the creaky step at the late hour.

Charlie smiled to himself, realising that somewhere along the way, his little brother had grown up. And he had somehow given him permission to move ahead in life with his best friend. Times truly had changed! Laughing a little at his own joke, Charlie indulged in some more ice-cream, washed up his spoon, replaced the tub in the ice box and jumped up the stairs towards his room, much like Ron had just a few minutes earlier.

!

Early in the morning the next day, Charlie wrote a small note for Hermione explaining how he was called back to the reserve in Romania immediately. He however promised to come back soon, stating that when he did, they would have to talk. Trying not to sound too ominous he added a note asking her to take care of herself and to know that he would constantly be thinking of her while he was away.

He neatly folded the letter and sealed it in an envelope, slipped the envelope into her room from beneath the door and charmed it to fly to her pillow, to ensure she received it. He did not want her to feel that he had left without a goodbye. He knew from personal experience how bad that felt, even in a relationship as strange as theirs.

Taking his leave from his parents, he flooed to the Ministry to take the first portkey out to Romania.


	5. Chapter 5

- **CHAPTER 04** -

It took four long months to get the castle up and ready to welcome back its old students and the new ones. Hermione had not been able to convince Harry and Ron to join her, as they both wanted to join the auror training. George had also flatly refused and one look at him and Hermione had not felt like pestering again; so it was just Ginny and her. They both would be in the seventh year though, so she knew she would have at least one friend in her year. The two returning students were to journey to the castle the next day to start a new year. They were really hoping to have a _normal_ year at least this time around. They were both excited to see their friends the next day. The Order members along with the Weasley family had arranged for a small party for them both. It had been months since the Burrow had seen any celebration. The only time there had been happiness after the war was the time Bill and Fleur had announced their pregnancy. Things before and after that had been a rut. Everyone was very busy.

Hermione did feel sad about not being owled by Charlie but remembered that he had said they would talk after he was back and he hadn't mentioned anything about interim months. She wasn't too sure how she felt about the whole Charlie deal but she prayed every day that they would give their marriage an honest try. She convinced herself that she would use the quiet of the coming academic year to think things through so that she would be better sorted by the time she was done studying.

The party began and was in full swing in no time at all. Hermione stayed on for an hour enjoying being in the company of all her friends and well-wishers. However, there was this one thing she wanted to do before leaving for Hogwarts the next day and so she quickly made eye contact with Harry, who was conveniently standing in front of her talking to George and Bill, and just through her eyes conveyed that she was leaving. She did not want to announce her departure and had worked out ways with her three best friends to cover for her absence. Harry saw her gestures and nodded, taking that nod as her cue, Hermione quickly got up and moved out through the orchards in absolute stealth mode.

Charlie was just about to enter the party when saw the entire exchange between Harry and Hermione and then he saw her leave. For a second, a green monster rose inside him but when he saw Harry make no move to follow her, he calmed down a bit. And then he wondered about what was going on. Thinking quickly, he decided to skip the party and followed his wife. In a few quick strides, he caught up with her just before the last non-apparition wards. He lightly tapped on her shoulder to get her attention and she almost screeched.

"Oh dear Lord! Charlie! You scared the living day lights out of me! You're lucky I didn't hex you!" exclaimed a very worked up Hermione.

"Calm down, love! I just wanted to check how my wife was and to find out where she was running off to leaving her own party behind?" smiled Charlie.

"Oh that! Yeah… I was actually trying to sneak out for a couple of hours. Have an errand to run before leaving for Hogwarts tomorrow. Don't worry, I've asked Harry, Ron and Ginny to cover for me. I actually thought I was being quiet stealthy though."

"Yeah… I guess you were but I was looking for my beautiful bride so you can't fault yourself for me seeing you really." Blushing, Hermione thanked the stars for their absence on that dark night, or else she was sure Charlie would've seen just how many different shades of red she could flush to! "So are you going to tell me about this errand of yours or am I not to know about it."

Hermione thought about this for a moment when she remembered the markings on his biceps, usually just visible below his short shirt sleeve. "Well, I guess I can tell you. You, of all the people are most likely to understand and probably guide me too. I'm actually going get a tattoo done." Charlie's breathe caught in his throat… _a girl after my own heart_ passed through his mind. "I want to move ahead in life but I don't want to forget the past seven years. I want to carry their learnings and losses with me, _always_. So I thought of commiserating those years through tattoos. I was just on my way to find a parlour now. Uhmm…. If, I mean if you're not too tired or anything, would you like to come along?"

He grinned like a fool at that. She had told her best friends about the tattoos but had not asked anyone of them to tag along, but she asked him! He was not going to pass up the opportunity for the world. "Of course love! I'd like nothing more than to accompany you. So do you have any particular parlour in mind? Or, have you at least thought if want to get the muggle ones or the magic ones?"

"Going chronologically, thank you, I really was wishing to run into you before going to the parlour. I was a little crestfallen when you didn't show up. I waited for you too but then I thought you were probably not planning on coming so I thought I'd make a move on. Uhm…. No I do not have any particular place in mind. Therefore I wanted to talk to you. If you had any recommendations for me may be? Since you know…" she trailed of and gestured in the general direction of his arms and the slightly visible tattoo there. "And yes! Since this is related to the wizarding world, I thought of getting a wizarding tattoo. Plus they move, so that wasn't a very difficult choice to make," she conceded smiling sheepishly at him.

 _Sweet Merlin! She was waiting for me! She wanted to discuss things as permanent as tattoos with me!_ It was all music to Charlie's ears. May be, their relationship did stand a chance…..just may be, she could come to care for him too! For the thousandth time he cursed his boss for making him wait extra leading him to miss the scheduled portkey. He had to fill up a zillion forms and cough up a few extra galleons to get here tonight, but he was here with Hermione. Alone. Accompanying her to get a tattoo done. He didn't mind the extra trouble he had had to go through not half hour back. He knew it was all worth it. His grin seemed to be a permanent fixture for the evening. "I might know just the place for you," he replied with a big broad smile. "Side apparate with me?" saying that he held out his arm for her to take and apparated them both to Diagon Alley. They walked for a few minutes on the cobblestoned walkway, Charlie guiding Hermione wih his large hand on the small of her back, through a few twisting and turning bylanes, and they were finally in front of his favourite tattoo parlour in London. In fact he too had got is first tattoo done there – 'The Luminous Spellworker'. He said as much to Hermione and pulled her in with him.

The sole worker there, Mr. Phil, was a ratty old man, with a creative eye and a stable hand. He saw the young couple enter and smiled warmly at them and shouted his welcome. "What can I do you for young 'uns?"

"Uhm… I'd like to get a tattoo. Oh, obviously, since I'm here. Could you, do you think, you, well, could you please….uhm…." Charlie chuckled at Hermione's fumbling. He found it extremely endearing that the girl who played the centre role in the recent war, was so nervous about getting a tattoo done.

"Well, what my lovely wife here is trying to say is that she wants to get a tattoo. It's actually her first and holds a very special place in her heart and that's the reason why she is rambling as such. Believe it or not she is otherwise the brightest witch of her age."

"The brightest, eh? I'd also say the loveliest. You're a lucky man, chum. Me wife's a beaut too! I'd know. Fell for her when she was a young eleven year old. Couldn't take my eyes off her all them years back. Even now, after 5 kids and innumerable grandkids, she still can work her magic on me," Mr. Phil ranted on, not missing the blush creeping up again on Hermione's face and the twinkle shinning in Charlie's eyes when he took in her blush. "So, lovely, do you know what you want?"

"Uhm.. yes, I do actually." She said surprising both men. "I would like to have seven birds flying around on my left shoulder, right here," she said, pointing out the precise location to Mr. Phil. Also, I want the birds to vary in size, with 3 small ones, 3 medium ones growing in size one after the other and a big one, please. It would be nice if you could get them fly around in circles. Actually," she fumbled with the pockets of her dark blue skinny jeans and pulled out a paper, "something like this," she said giving the sketched paper to Mr. Phil to examine. He asked her if he could tweak it up a little. She nodded and he set to work. About 10 minutes later he showed her the same sketch with a better design and she loved it. "This looks great! What do you think Charlie?" she turned to face him. He closely examined the design and knew it was perfect. He said the same and she gave a small smile to him. "Alright then. I guess this is it. This is what I want."

Mr. Phil smiled kindly at her and set about his work station. Hermione did not want any colours on it so he just had a small black ink bottle and his wand along with the wizarding piercing and inking machine. "Now, lovely, it will hurt but I'll give you a pain killing potion as soon as its done as you'll be as good as new in no time. So are you ready?"

 _As ready as I'll ever be_ Hermione muttered to herself. Giving Charlie a half smile, she sat down on the chair meant for the customers and braced herself. _Here goes nothing_.

About half an hour later, Mr. Phil finally announced that he was done and it was good. By then her shoulder was red, hot and hurting. She couldn't even discern the shape of her tattoo and fervently hoped that it was there somewhere between the red blotches on her shoulder. Mr. Phil then handed her a glass and after she downed the contents, she felt…..absolutely painless. He then went on to dab some shimmering liquid on her shoulder and the redness disappeared leaving behind a beautiful tattoo just like the one Mr. Phil had drawn on the paper. "This is beautiful, Mr. Phil. Thank you so much! I love it, really I do!"

Mr. Phil smiled indulgently and walked up to the counter again giving her sometime to look at her herself in the mirror and straighten herself up should she need to. By the time she was done, Charlie had settled the bill with Mr. Phil. Just when she was about to protest, Charlie simply looked at her saying, "Leave it be, Hermione. Think of it as a late wedding gift." It was his use of her name that melted away all her arguments before they could even be formed. She thanked him and they left the shop saying their goodbyes to Mr. Phil. Hand-in-hand they walked back to the apparition point discussing Hermione's and then Charlie's first tattoo experiences. In no time they were at the Burrow, crossing the wards. The party had long since gotten over so they went inside the house directly. Charlie kept thinking if he should kiss her before she went off to Ginny's and her shared room, if it would be too early for her or was it already too late; but he needn't have bothered. Her entire _f***ing_ group was there, waiting for her in the den! He groaned in frustration. He apparently just could not catch a break as far as his wife was concerned it seemed to him.

"Mione! We've been waiting since hours! Show us the tattoo quickly. I'm trying to convince Harry to let me have one too. I'm hoping yours tips the scales in my favour." Harry smiled at her but gave a firm negative head shake in Hermione's direction.

"Trust me Gin, if Harry had his way, even I wouldn't have been able to get one!" Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Enough suspense. Give, Granger. We just want to see your tattoo. Quickly. Then I have to crash. Have an early morning tomorrow," cooed George, interest shinning in his expressive eyes.

"Yes, Mione, show. Now. You've been advertising it since forever," Ron complained.

"Ok, ok, ok. Here," saying this Hermione slightly pulled at her t-shirt neck from the left so that everyone could see her new tattoo. "It's beautiful Mione. Harry even I want one," pouted Ginny.

"Not too bad Granger. It's actually pretty neat. I'm off now. G'night all," that was all George said before running up the stairs to his room. He was staying at the Burrow since the war as he couldn't face being alone at his flat without Fred yet.

Harry and Ron were still staring at her tattoo as if they couldn't quite believe that she had really gone ahead and done such as crazy thing.

"Oi, enough with your ogling my wife's tattoo. There's only so much a man can stand!" Charlie harrumphed tugging Hermione's t-shirt back in place. Hermione blushed for the third time that day.

"Jealous much, big brother?" smirked Ginny

While Harry and Ron, both shook their heads as if waking out of a trance.

"You really did it," was all Harry said.

"It's quite something," murmured Ron appreciatively.

"Thank you," Hermione whispered. "I, uh, think I'm gonna go too. Big day tomorrow. We have an early morning train to catch. G'night all," saying this, she pulled at Ginny's wrist and dragged her upstairs with her before Ginny could protest.

The three boys watched them leave and then climbed up themselves to turn in for the night, all lost in their own thoughts till sleep claimed them.


	6. Chapter 6

- **CHAPTER 05** -

The next morning dawned bright and clear. Hermione had packed all of her things three days back and had charmed her trunks weightless and miniaturised them to fit into her robe's pockets when time came for them to leave. Ginny was still doing her last minute packing while constantly complaining about how her parents were ruining her life by making her take the NEWTs. And how she'd be much happier to stay right there and get married to Harry already. Also there was Teddy to think about but no one really bothered bout her opinion anyway. Hermione had had about enough whining from the younger witch and was trying her damnedest best to not let her temper get to her today. Just when she thought she could take it no more, Harry came looking for Ginny and they both went off to find some alone time before the girls had to leave. Hermione was glad for the few minutes of respite. But it was short lived. There was quick knock on the door again. It was George. Hermione felt a pang when she realised that she wanted to see a different brother of Ginny's. George came in and looked around the messy room. "Hmm…looks like you're all set."

"Yes, I am. This is all Ginny's."

"She is no doubt busy in the orchard with Harry giving her things to remember him by."

"George!" Hermione snapped, blushing furiously.

"Yeah well, it's the truth. Anyways, I hope you do well Granger." He hugged her and gave a her a small gift in a WWW gift box. "It's for one of those lonely evenings when you miss my brother too much. I've only given you one though, would hate for the golden girl to be addicted to these now." He winked at her and got ready to leave. I have to leave now to open the shop up, but I'll meet you all there at 9¾ around 10 to see you two off. Oh and Granger, thank you….for everything."

"George, just remember that I'm only an owl away, okay? Please just stay in touch." He gave a short nod and kissed her forehead before turning around and leaving.

Hermione could just imagine what George was going through and prayed to the Gods, both muggle and wizarding to help him through this rough patch.

She flicked her wand around the room making all of Ginny's stuff fold and arrange itself in the open trunk when there was a second knock on the door. Hoping it was Charlie she asked the person to enter but found it was Ron this time. _Just my luck!_ She muttered under her breath.

"You two all set?" asked Ron looking around the room.

"Yeah, just about" replied Hermione.

"Good. Uhm… I'll miss you Mione. It'll be weird to go through the auror training without having you around to save our arses."

"I'm sure you two will do very well Ron. It's what you both have always wanted to do. Not to mention, you both are probably more experienced than most of the aurors there anyway."

"Yeah, I know. But we've always been a trio not a duo. I'll miss you every time Harry and I will be together."

"Oh Ron! That's probably the sweetest thing you've ever said to me" tearing up a little Hermione hugged him and stayed in his arms a second longer than necessary. But they had been through so much together, she knew it was alright to get some comfort from him like this. She moved out of his warm hug and gave him a watery smile. "Well, you could always pretend that I'm at the library." He laughed out loud at that.

"Come on, let's go down for breakfast. It should be ready any minute now."

"You go ahead. I'll just pack this up for Ginny and be down in a few minutes."

Ron nodded, looked at her again and left.

Hermione just stood there a few seconds longer and then resumed Ginny's packing. Just when she was almost done, she heard a light tap on the door. Thinking it was Ginny and Harry she just grunted for them to come in. They both walked in hand-in-hand. Harry's hair was messier than usual and Ginny's had half the backyard in hers! Hermione just smirked and continued to finish the task at hand.

"Oh Mione! Has Merlin himself sent you for me? Thank you so much. I owe you a big one for this" Ginny piqued, hugging Hermione from behind.

"Yes you do Ginerva Molly Weasley! A big one. And this time around I'll be sure to extract that favour from you one way or another, given that we'll be together, just us, all through the year at Hogwarts."

"Deal," smiled Ginny.

"Shall we go down for breakfast then?" asked Harry from the door.

"I shall. Though I'm pretty sure you two may want to straighten up your appearances before coming downstairs," saying this, Hermione started out the door, shutting it behind her. She just took one step away when noises from inside wafted out. _Ok then….maybe they were just going to have each other for breakfast!_ mused Hermione. She put a silencing charm on the room and started walking downstairs.

Suddenly, an arm wrapped around her middle while another was placed on her mouth and she was lifted clear off the floor and pulled up the stairs into a familiar room. She kicked at the air and tried to grab at her attacker, to no vail. Her eyes almost bulged out of their sockets when she heard him murmur in her ears and a wave of heat washed over her at their close proximity.

"I'm gonna remove my hand from your mouth now but please don't scream, okay?" Charlie whispered in Hermione's ears and saw her entire demeanour change, from a frightened deer caught in the lights, she turned into a woman going soft and warm in her lover's arms. Charlie felt himself hardening. _Well, if that's all that it takes from her, I'm gonna be putty in her hands,_ he thought, smiling internally. He slowly removed his hand from her mouth and used it to rub his nape, just below his newly cut hair, thanks to his mum, smiling sheepishly.

"You didn't think I'd let you go without saying a goodbye, did you?"

"No….but when you didn't come to see me earlier, I …." she trailed off, suddenly narrowing her eyes at him, "Why didn't you come to see me earlier?"

"What? And miss this time to have you all to myself instead of sharing you with the entire family? Not happening, witch. Also, I wanted to give you some time to miss me," he smirked at that, "looks like my plan worked after all."

Hermione wanted to be mad at him. Really, she did. But he still had his one arm wrapped around her waist pulling her close, very close to him, making all her rational thoughts freeze before they were even formed in her head. And he was leaning on the closed door of his room, legs crossed at his ankles and one hand sheepishly rubbing his nape, all clad in a form fitting navy blue t-shirt showing off his abs and soft broken-in jeans hugging his thighs, and Hermione felt her nipples tighten in response and press against her t-shirt, a light pastel peach one, as she just continued to look at him in the eyes, wordlessly.

He sucked in a breath when she pushed her head back a little, the action making her taut nipples touch his chest. "You're gonna be the death of me, witch," he grumbled and pulled her close, kissing her with all his pent up passion. Of all the times Charlie had thought of kissing Hermione at their reunion after the war, and there had been plenty of them, he always pictured a slow, soft, first kiss, that would be almost holy in nature. The reality was completely different! A touch of her lips on his and he was on fire, kissing her with all the passion that he had somehow managed to reign in all these months. All these months, he had gone so mad obsessing over her that he had to physically remove himself from the country to avoid rushing her into things she probably did not need right after a war. He was mad with worry, waiting for even a shred of news about her, over the months the trio were on their secret mission. When his mum informed him that Ron was back, he had apparated across countries to be with her immediately, only to find that his nut of a brother had come back alone, leaving her in the wild! How he had fumed and almost battered poor Ron, not that he did not deserve it, he did, and a lot more probably, but he was not well fed for months and Charlie was a burly dragon keeper, all strong sinews and muscles. Had the fight not been stopped by the twins, his punches would have probably maimed Ron for life. The international apparition followed by his big bout of anger had sapped all of his energy but for fear of murdering his own brother in his sleep, he had apparated back without even waiting to see his mother. It had taken him two full days to recover after that stint.

He then saw her fighting at the battle of Hogwarts and all he had wanted to do then was to rush to her and kiss her senseless. So he had done the only wise thing he could, looked the other way and fought beside her, ensuring no harm came to her while she tried to save other's lives. After the war, after Fred's untimely death, things had changed a little. They were all mourning their losses. Though he for one was glad she was safe and in front of him. It was after the first fortnight, after the evening when Ron told him about her predicaments that he knew now was not the time to pester her, but he did not know what else to do. He was unable to control himself around her so he took himself away from her. It had hurt….a lot. But he knew she needed time to heal and he had things to sort out.

It was then, in the past four months, that he realised that he had somehow come to love this witch who was kissing him back with fervour right then. How and when that had happened he had no idea. They had barely ever spent any time in each other's company but he just had fallen for her and for him that meant that it was just meant to be. Even his promised celibacy had come naturally to him! He used to be a big philanderer, but for some reason after his promise of fidelity to her, he had had no desire to fumble around with anyone else – whether it were the effects of the promise or his Weasley traits of fidelity kicking in after his wedding, he wasn't sure, but now, all he wanted was for her to be with him, by his side _always_. He was ready to make the ends of the earth meet just so she'd give him a chance to prove himself to her.

"You're thinking too much," Hermione whispered softly just beside his lips, eyes on him.

"All my thoughts are only about you, Hermione."

She gave him a small smile, looking up at his dishevelled hair and thoroughly kissed lips while running her tongue over her own kiss swollen lips.

"Let me, love," Charlie whispered and started licking her lips in the same manner she was doing not a second ago. He slowly started nibbling at her lower lip and soon turned the soft nibbles into sexy sucks and big kisses. She moaned and he felt himself harden more. _Control yourself, Weasley!_ Charlie scolded himself internally, kissing her again, a little more languidly, a little more deeply than before. It was quite a while before they finally made their way down for breakfast.

!

"Ha! And you warned us to clean up," laughed Ginny the minute she saw a thoroughly kissed Hermione walking down the stairs.

"Well, unlike you dear sis, we are married, and allowed to kiss each other as much as we'd like," grumbled Charlie coming into the dining room right behind Hermione, righting his sleeves as he spoke.

A lot of things happened at once after that. Hermione blushed furiously, while Charlie smirked at Ginny. Molly beamed her approval, Arthur smiled indulgently at the pair, Ron and Bill wolf whistled and Fleur laughed at them, Percy choked on his tea, Ginny humped and Harry caught Hermione's eye and smiled. Sitting across Harry, Hermione returned his smile. She made no further eye contact with anyone and studiously ate her breakfast, chocolate chip pancakes, her favourite. Charlie shooed Ron over to the next seat and sat beside Hermione. Every time their hands or legs touched, Hermione blushed and Charlie grinned like a fool seeing her reaction to his touch. _At least she's not immune to me_ he thought happily.

!

After breakfast, the group broke up to get ready to leave shortly. Bill charmed Ginny's bags just like Hermione's and packed them up in the boot of their newly bewitched car. They even managed to put in an extendable charm on it to help them all fit in, albeit a little crampedly. Bill, Fleur and Percy were not going to join them as Fleur was a little tired these days, pregnancy bearing her down and Percy had a date with Audrey, his new girlfriend. Arthur and Molly sat ahead, with Arthur sharing his muggle knowledge with Molly every now and then. Ron slid to the centre of the back seat with Harry on his right and Hermione on his left. Charlie sat beside Hermione. Seeing no space for herself, Ginny promptly lifted herself up onto Harry's lap. He grinned at her and pecked her lightly on her nose. She folded her hands around his neck and they were both lost to the world gazing lovingly at each other. Ron groaned unhappily and turned to look at Hermione and Charlie. "Please you two don't start now."

"Ronald!" shrieked Hermione. "What?" he pattered back. She rolled her eyes at him and looked in the other direction. That it happened to be same one where Charlie sat was neither here nor there.

They all shifted uncomfortably for the next 10 minutes. "You know Hermione, things would be a lot easier if you just sat on my lap too," Charlie whispered in her ear.

"Now that is a great idea," shouted Ginny, somehow hearing him. "Go on _Hermione_ , sit. Then we'll all have some sort of room around. It is after all a long journey from here to the London train station."

Hermione muttered some non-coherent words and glared at Ginny. After about 5 minutes of unnecessary shuffling from Harry and Ron and kicking from Ginny, Hermione gave up, picked her arse up and thumped it on Charlie's lap. _Startled_ would not begin to describe his reaction! _Oh, I'm never gonna survive this torture_ he thought groaning internally, thinking of as many non-sexual things and turn offs as he could. He did not want to scare Hermione off the first time she had taken an initiative with him, so with a brave smile, he put himself through that torture for the next 40 minutes. _This witch really is gonna be the death of me_ he mused for the second time that day.

!

Once on platform 9¾, with the Hogwarts Express in front of her, for the first time ever Hermione felt remorse. She wasn't so sure of her decision any more. Charlie saw her expression change and quietly walked in behind her. Rubbing her arms warmly, as encouragement, he whispered in her ear, "You are doing the right thing, love. You need to go back and finish up, no point in leaving anything half way. You and I, we don't do things in half measures." He smiled warmly at her. She simply turned around and hugged him tightly before shyly stepping away. He just caught on her arms and pulled her in again, "We are married Hermione, you can hug me whenever and wherever you want." Then seeing her speechless form, he added with a trace of vulnerability in his voice, "I hope you'll owl me, love."

"Of course, Charlie! I will," she said, tilting her head back to look up at him.

"Hermione, I am not a man of many words but I do hope to stay in touch with you while we're away. Please bear with my short letters and know that there'll be so much more I'd want to say but won't be able to put on in those letters," he said looking deep in her eyes and then bent down to drop a burning kiss on her lips. "I'll be thinking of you love, every minute of every day, I'll be thinking of you."

He clearly intended for her to think of him on her way back to school after that kiss and unfortunately for Hermione, that's all she did, all through that day and the next, especially after reading his first letter to her telling her how he was teased mercilessly by Ron, Harry, George and Bill all over the weekend, right till the time he bid them goodbye and left for Romania. It was only on Monday, when classes started that she was able to take her mind of Charlie, though not for too long.


	7. Chapter 7

- **CHAPTER 06** -

The days were jam packed for all, but especially for Hermione as she had taken up 12 subjects for her final year at Hogwarts. Weeks rolled by and it was her birthday. She received many letters and gifts on her special day but none from Charlie. _Does he even know it's my birthday?_ she wondered. After her classes of the day, as she was walking towards the library to catch up on some reading before dinner, she was pulled into a small, dark passageway, just before the library. She felt dread crawl up her skin and started looking frantically for her wand when a lumos spell was muttered and tip of a wand glowed brightly. Standing in front of her was George. "Happy birthday, Granger," he beamed and holding her hand, led her deep into the passageway.

"George what are you doing here? And why am I here? What's happening?"

"We took special permission from Headmistress McGonagall to come celebrate your birthday with you. Though we wanted a small private party and had only so many options. Ginny let us in on your schedules and voila! Here we are! Walking together towards your party."

Hermione had so many questions, but before she could ask the one at the forefront of her mind, she was greeted by the answer himself. "Happy birthday love," Charlie all but screamed when he saw her walking beside George.

"He is my gift to you Granger, do with him what you please," said George pointing at Charlie and winking at her.

Hermione turned scarlet and looked away refusing to meet either of their eyes. "Thanks for that George. I'll remember to return the favour next time I see Verity at the shop," replied Charlie drily. "Now out with you. Help the others prepare and let me wish my wife properly."

Laughing, George left the two of them alone. Charlie smiled at her and took about two steps in her direction when Ginny came trudging down the same path Hermione had taken not two minutes back. "Oh good, I didn't miss much. Had to cancel the quidditch practise for the day before coming. Sorry I am late though."

"Ginny," greeted Charlie with a little strain in his voice. "Nice to know the team has such an amazing captain."

"I'm following in your footsteps Charlie," Ginny smiled sweetly at him.

"Harry's back there, putting up the decorations and stretching out a lot since he is doing a few things the muggle way," Charlie informed her.

"I've got to see that," Ginny muttered and ran in the direction Charlie had indicated towards.

"Is he really doing muggle decorations?" asked Hermione.

"No. I just wanted her to leave us alone. Hhmm… now where were we?" Charlie gave Hermione an all-encompassing look while moving closer to her and wrapping his arms around her.

"I think you were about to wish me properly," Hermione flirted back.

His gaze darkened and he stared at her lips. "It's been too long, love. I've been going crazy thinking about you." He dipped his head and just touched her lips when Ron appeared from behind.

"Enough with you two already. Come on, we are all waiting Mione. We all want to wish you!"

Hermione smiled at Charlie's dark expression. "He needs to find a girl to keep him busy. And sooner the better I tell you!" Charlie muttered darkly under his breath. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?" he asked, eyes shining bright.

Ron was walking towards them, so Hermione knew she'd be safe even if she teased him a little. Rising to the occasion, she just smiled at him "Yes. A lot."

"Payback's a bitch, witch. Relent now or I'll have you wriggling under me, begging for release, while I kiss you senseless and take you just till the edge, the next time we meet," he warned in a low yet seductively threatening tone.

"Never," muttered Hermione, all the while having a few very vivid images of what he had just described running through her mind. Just then Ron reached her and pulled her towards the party area by her wrist. Charlie just stood there, in the dimly lit passageway and watched her go, lust shinning in his eyes and mischief dancing of her lips.

!

He took a while to return to the party. By then everyone – Ron, Harry, George, Neville, Seamus, Dean and Luna had wished her. They were just waiting for him to get the party started. He saw her standing alone in a corner by the drinks sections, biting her lower lip nervously. He walked straight towards her. The minute he reached, she asked "Are you angry on me? For earlier?"

"What? No! Why would you think that love?"

"You came so late. I thought I had offended you or something. I am sorry if I did."

He laughed at that, but it sounded strained to Hermione. "No, no, I wasn't offended. But I couldn't come to your party sporting a boner now, could I? I had to walk it off a little before coming in."

She blushed hearing his answer. "I….. I got worried…."

"As you should be. You have no idea what I plan on doing to you when we meet for Christmas, witch. You'll be down on your knees, I swear. Well, I'll be too at some point, but that's different. I'll make you go down on all fours while I take you from the back, spanking you for being the naughty little witch that we both know you are. Then maybe we will do it a few times against the walls, I'll take you, quite hard, from the front while the wall slaps into your back as you hang for your life around my neck and cross your sexy thighs around my waist. I'll kiss you roughly just when you want to scream your release, swallowing your moans as we duel with our tongues. And then we'll try to squeeze in long showers and baths. Also, I think the shed's a nice place; imagine us fogging the glasses with our heat with the entire family not twenty metres away, doing it while in hiding, knowing we could be caught any minute yet not caring, it might add to the fun, you know. Not that I'm thinking anything to do with _you_ would ever be boring….."

Hermione blushed scarlet for the second time in half hour. She refused to look at Charlie or comment in any way to let him know that she had heard any of it. However, her complete denial was a response enough for Charlie and he laughed out loud. "Oh love, you go straight to my head! And to other parts of my body which are more difficult to control," he whispered seductively near her ear.

"Oi you two, love birds. Come along now. It's your party Hermione, it's rude to ignore the guests," shouted Ginny from the other corner.

Hermione jumped at Ginny's voice and ran away from Charlie. He banged the back of his head against the wall behind him. Christmas could not be here soon enough.


	8. Chapter 8

- **CHAPTER 07** -

The months after Hermione's birthday just rolled by. Life, it seemed, had gotten into a rut. Morning through evening they had classes. Before dinner Hermione would study in the library. On non-practice days Ginny would join her. After dinner, they would both sit beside the fire in the Gryffindor common room and complete their assignments. Hermione had rubbed off a little on Ginny and she too had started doing her work earlier than needed, with her. After their assignment was done, they would walk back to their shared dorm and turn in for the night.

Hermione had a ritual for that too. She would change, sit by her desk and write a small letter, usually to Charlie, but sometimes to Harry, Ron or George. She would then pick the small vial Charlie had gifted to her on her birthday, and read the letter that had accompanied it. And then she would twist and turn all night thinking about Charlie, his gift and them, together, at Christmas.

 _My darling wife,_

 _Happy birthday._

 _I wanted this gift to be special for you so I decided to share my most prized possession with you today. It's a dragon heart string. The first one I ever harvested. It was from a very old dragon named Rosco, who died of natural causes. It is believed that older the dragon, the fiercer its magic. I can never forget the absolute zing that ran through my being when I harvested this particular heart string, whether it was old Rosco's magic or just my nervousness and excitement or was it a combination of it all, I'll never know but I will never forget that day. In fact, until quite recently, that was my happy memory for the patronus charm, only now it's replaced by you and our last day at the Burrow, in my room._

 _I just wanted for you to have a part of me, while you're up alone in the castle, studying late at nights. Remember, I'll always be thinking of you._

 _Can't wait to see you again._

 _Yours,_

 _Charles_

 _PS: Harry tells me your wand core is dragon heart string. It could create something interesting. If you want, we could find out together during your Christmas break._

For the first time in forever, Hermione was waiting for the school to break for Christmas!


	9. Chapter 9

- **CHAPTER 08** -

It was December at last! September, October, Halloween and then November, all had finally crawled by giving way to December. And now that it was there, Hermione alternated between glee and panic. She had written Charlie a letter just before his birthday, asking him what he'd like for her to gift him. He had responded with a very naughty letter telling her _exactly_ what he wanted from her as a late gift for his birthday. With all of Charlie's naughty words, Hermione had been flustered yet very excited. She was waiting to see Charlie but was scared of what he had promised, and yet wanted it to happen pretty badly.

Hermione was going nuts and that was quietly driving Ginny insane. One fine day she finally caught hold of Hermione and made her blurt everything out. Once she knew the whole story, she couldn't stop laughing.

"Oh come on Mione! There's worse things than falling for your husband. Of more than a year, might I add! But if he is troubling you, we could always prank him in return," Ginny offered. Hermione did not like the sound of that and immediately turned down her offer. "Fine, let me know if you change your mind," Ginny grumbled, a little disappointed about losing a good prank opportunity and walked away.

!

Another couple of weeks passed by and it was the last day before they broke for Christmas. Ginny and Hermione made plans to go Christmas shopping in a few days, after resting a little at the Burrow. Charlie had informed her that he'll be reaching on the 23rd evening, giving her two whole days to kill before his arrival. Days which Hermione planned on using on studies and assignments so that she could spend all her time guilt-free with Charlie once he got there. He was going to stay back for the full two weeks with them and leave on the same day as them, after seeing them off. She was an excited mess by that point.

They finally boarded the Hogwarts Express bound back home and were received by Harry and Ron at the station. They exchanged pleasantries and kisses in Ginny's and Harry's case and made their way to the Burrow in the same car as last time, only this time Harry drove with Ginny beside him and Ron and Hermione sat at the back. They spoke of Hogwarts, the boys' auror trainings, the length of their Christmas break which incidentally was the same as their own. By the time the Burrow came in to view, they were all covered up with each other's stories. It felt like they had never really separated. Hermione just wished that this bond would stay with them all forever. Ron rushed up the stairs to eat some snacks while Ginny followed behind him to see their mum. Harry held Hermione back. "I need to have a word with you."

He took her to the opposite direction and once they were standing under their favourite tree by the lake, he said, albeit blushingly, "I'm gonna propose to Ginny tonight."

"Oh my God! Harry! That's amazing news! She's gonna be so happy! I'm so proud of you Harry Potter! Come here you," she hugged him hard, a few tears escaping her eyes. He hugged her back.

"I've sought permission from her father and all her brothers, Ron included. But I wanted to show you the ring before I went ahead with it. It's my mum's." He put a small box in her hands. When she opened it, she saw a beautiful ruby right at the centre, surrounded by diamonds through all its edges, set in a gold band. "Harry its beautiful!" Hermione whispered, wiping away the fresh tears. "I hope you give me lots of nieces and nephews to spoil rotten soon."

"Hold your horses Mione, she hasn't even said yes yet." Hermione had the grace to snort at that. _As if._

Harry laughed loudly at that un-ladylike response from her. "You're just my dose of confidence booster you know."

They both hugged again and laughed again, their eyes shining a little.

"Well, that actually brings me to the other reason, I wanted to talk to you first. We all, except Ron, are now couples, well, at least those staying at the Burrow for Christmas are. So Mrs. Weasley is planning on shuffling the roommates around a little to make some extra space for the guests." He had Hermione's complete attention at that. "Well, since she knows I'm going to propose tonight and no one is expecting Ginny to say no, she has arranged for me and Ginny to stay together to get used to each other before our wedding. Unfortunately, the same applies for you and Charlie. She wasn't sure of the dynamics earlier so she did not interfere, but after Charlie's bold announcement the last time, she has been berating herself for keeping the newlyweds separately and has planned on, how do I put it, uhm…rectifying the situation. She is beyond bonkers by now and you and Charlie are in the line of fire. She's trying her best to make up for the last time so that you two don't hold any grudges against her and decide on giving her a grandchild soon enough." Hermione's eyes were ready to pop out of their sockets after listening to Harry. "Uhm… Thanks for the heads up. Should I be scared?"

"Well, it's Mrs. Weasley so I'd rather you be prepared. For _anything_. I mean it. I mean think about it, Bill, Charlie and the twins have all got their mischievousness from somewhere right?"

Hermione shuddered involuntarily at that and started walking back to the Burrow with Harry, feeling dread in her heart and led on her feet.

!

Mrs. Weasley welcomed her with an apology on her tongue, a big smile on her lips and arms opened affectionately. She immediately admonished her and asked her to call her Molly as they were now officially mother and daughter and no one could stop her from pampering her from here on out. Hermione bit her quivering lip and hugged Molly back with as much fervour. She was missing her parents dearly and Molly just felt as much of her mother to her as her own mother did. She felt almost guilty for dreading this visit with Molly. How was she to know her guilt trip was coming a little too soon?


	10. Chapter 10

- **CHAPTER 09** -

Harry had proposed, Ginny had said yes…..surprise, surprise! And all of them had moved. Harry to Ginny's room, Hermione to Charlie's, George to Ron's. In all, there was space all around. Every other room was empty as if by design, to afford a sense of privacy to the new couples. Hermione marvelled at Molly's ingenious.

On 23rd, after a heavy lunch, Hermione decided to give finishing touches to her last Christmas assignment on Transfiguration. Excusing herself, she went upstairs into Charlie's room, well now hers too, and sat on the floor cross legged in front of her small bookshelf that she had transfigured from an old table from the attic for the duration of her Christmas holidays. That was the only change she had made to the otherwise masculine room. She did not want to touch or move anything around without Charlie's permission. She felt as if their relationship was not at that level yet. She looked around for her essay, found it and then moved on to the writing desk to work on it.

Meanwhile, Molly left for a little shopping with her friends at Diagon Alley. Ron had met a girl, a fellow auror-in-training and had asked her out to tea, so he went to fetch her. Finding the house otherwise empty, Harry and Ginny decided to spike things up by making out on the couch in the sitting room. While they were going hot and heavy at it, the fire at the fire place burnt green and out stepped a Weasley twin.

"Eh….! So not what I wanted to see….." he grumbled, stepped right back into the hearth and flooed back to his shop, never bothering to come back all day. Taking the cue, Harry and Ginny moved back to their room to finish what they had started.

Hermione by then had finished all her tweaks on three different essays and was on her way down to the den to read her book by her spot. Seeing the entire George, Harry, Ginny debacle, she decided to stay put in her room. She laid down on her tummy with a new book on dragon heart strings in her hands and pulled a duvet over her body to keep warm. She was dressed for comfort not for winter, so she was getting a little chilly. She put a light heat charm on the room and immersed herself in the book. Slowly her eyelids got heavy and she dozed off with her head in her book.

It was about 6 in the evening that Charlie finally reached the Burrow. To ensure that his holiday went without any glitches, he had taken extra care while handing things over. He had almost written down every instruction to avoid the risk of being called over in the middle of his leave. He was anyway seeing his wife for just two short weeks, he did not want to cut it down any further. He'd had a long day and all he wanted was to see his blushing wife, soak in a hot bath, have warm soup and crash on his bed, in that order.

He entered the kitchen a little excitedly, wondering if she would be waiting for him there. No such luck. _Damn!_ He walked over the den, nothing. Trepidation made its way to his heart. Was everyone okay? It was quiet in the Burrow. Too quiet. And it was never quiet in the Burrow! He ran up the stairs, without bothering with a knock he pushed open the door to Ginny's room and froze. "Eh…..what is it? Brothers behaving inappropriately day? Sod off Charlie!" screamed Ginny and banged the door on his face with a flick of her wand. He screwed his eyes shut wanting to get that image out of his mind before it stuck there. Well, at least if the boy who lived and his fiancée had time for that, Charlie assumed everyone was safe, just gone out to afford them some privacy may be.

He shook his head again, praying to Merlin to obliviate the memory of his sister's beau doing unspeakable things to her from his mind, as he climbed up the stairs. So he'd see Hermione at dinner maybe. That was probably for the best. He'd be clean and not smelling like dust and dragons after his bath, at the very least. Thinking that he cracked open his door and froze again. Lying up on his bed was the most beautiful sight he had ever seen. _She looks like an angel when she sleeps_ he thought. Careful not to wake her, he walked in, put his trunk down and put a silencing charm around her so as not to wake her up. He continued with his plan for a bath, but turned it into a shower instead. _Who would want to soak in hot water when there was a hot chick on his bed?!_ He bathed, brushed and stepped out of the en suite bathroom in a host of steam wearing his pajama bottoms. He usually just wore his boxers to sleep but since he had company he figured he could wear longer pants. Draping the towel around his shoulders, he was just wiping his hair dry when he heard her groan. "Oh! Not again!"

He whipped around so quickly that his neck gave a slight crink. "What?"

"I fell asleep on a book again!" Then she stared at the sight in front of her. Tousled wet hair, broad shoulders, narrow waist, chiselled chest, abs in place, bicep tattoo – _wasn't that a Hungarian horntail?_ She'd forgotten to ask about it last time she was with him after their wedding.. and a generous dusting of chest hair that tapered towards the tummy running down the navel and into the elastic of the pants. _Damn._

"Like what you see witch?" she heard Charlie say, laughingly.

"Am I still dreaming?"

"Why? Is it a common occurrence for me to make an appearance in your dreams?"

"Yes."

Just a word. The best one he had ever heard. "And what do I do there, witch?"

"Well, we definitely don't talk," she grumbled and pinched herself. "Ouch! I'm awake. You're really here. Oh my God! What did I say?" she screeched and slapped both her hands on her mouth to keep it shut.

His entire being shook with laughter. "There's never a dull moment with you, is there?"

"You seem to bring up the sass in me," she replied without batting an eye. "Oh my God! Please just shut me up!" she screamed, eyes huge, lips in a pout.

By then he had walked till the edge of the bed. "Gladly." He knelt on the floor, pulling her face closer to his and kissed her. Softly. Sweetly. He put all the longing he had felt for her into that one kiss. When Hermione came up for air, she knew he hadn't lied when he had said that he missed her every single day.

"Wow" she smiled.

"Wow" he repeated, their foreheads still touching, his hand still in her hair. They held on to each other like that for a few more minutes before he stood up and pulled her along. She was standing on his bed now, so he grabbed her waist, picked her up and put her down on the floor.

"Not that I'm complaining but how come you're in my room, witch? Looking for trouble are we?"

"Uhm…yes… about that….." and then she narrated hers and Harry's complete conversation to him.

"Wow! Christmas just got more exciting. Mum trying to make up for our lost time! This one I've got to see… So do your wifely duties include any sort of cooking for your man? I'm famished."

"They don't, but since you've worked through the day and travelled a lot, I'll make an exception this once. But just remember you asked for it when I serve something burnt yet raw."

He cocked his brow at that but played along, "Your kindness precedes your fame, Ms. Granger. Thank you!"

He quickly pulled on a random t-shirt over his head and they both left for the kitchen. All the while Charlie held on to her hand, only in the kitchen did he reluctantly let it go.

!

Molly and Arthur Weasley came back by 7 to a very pleasant sight in the kitchen. Charlie was eating a sandwich at the kitchen table while Hermione seemed busy with things at the counter. They were both talking and laughing, all the while stealing glances at each other. The sight warmed Molly's heart. What few reservations she had about her plans melted away to oblivion. Clearing his throat to announce their arrival, Arthur with Molly stepped into the kitchen. They both welcomed Charlie with hugs and kisses (from Molly). Then Molly immediately turned towards the counter. "I am so sorry about the delay Hermione, but you didn't have to do this."

"It was no problem, Molly, really. I just got the things prepared nothing more. I did not cook though. I have the ability to burn water and didn't want everyone to suffer," she laughed a little self-consciously.

"Then how did you three survive on the run, love?" that was Charlie, curious about the trio's year on the run.

"They just ate whatever I dished out most of the time. Food itself was a novelty so complaining never occurred. And on the rare occasions that we did manage to get something nice, Harry cooked. That boy is the full package, I tell you – looks, wealth, down to earth and he can cook!"

"Hey, what are you speaking about my fiancé?" came Ginny's booming voice from the doorway.

"Just telling them how lucky you are to have found Harry."

"That I am." Saying this Ginny kissed Harry fondly on the cheek and stepped towards the counter to help Hermione. A blushing Harry found his way to the small table with Arthur and Charlie.

"You should cook a meal once for everyone Harry, give them a taste of your prowess."

"I'm nothing compared to Molly, but I'd love that. I've always found cooking very relaxing. As long as Hermione vouches on _not_ helping me, though."

"Really, is she that bad?" Ginny cooed, sending an apologetic grimace to Hermione.

"Well, not really, assuming you have developed a taste for burnt coffee, blackened toast and lumpy stews." Harry laughed when Hermione swatted him on the arm with a wooden spoon. "The woman can't cook to save her life! Thank goodness she wasn't asked to cook at the Malfoy Manor when we were captured, or else her torture would have been doubled!" Hermione had finally told Harry and Ron about what had really happened with her at the Malfoy Manor and they being the lovely friends they were, had helped her heal herself. She was now comfortable enough to joke around about the incident. Though she hadn't told anyone else about the scar on her left hand and she kept it well hidden under the long sleeved shirts or covered it up using muggle make up as nothing magical worked on hiding it. It was not that she was ashamed of it, far from it, she was proud of who she was but she could easily live without the misplaced sympathy, thank you very much.

"Would have been worth it though, imagine their faces when they ate something I cooked." Both Harry and Hermione cracked up at that.

"You never told me about your torture at the Malfoy Manor," was all Ginny said, hurt in her eyes.

"It's really no big deal Ginny."

"If you were tortured, then it is for me. What happened Mione?"

Relenting, Harry and Hermione filled all those present in the kitchen about their capture. Harry filled them in about what happened in the cells and she about what happened to her in the sitting room.

By the time they had finished their story, Molly was sobbing quietly and Arthur had got up to hold her. Ginny moved in to hug Hermione. "I'm so sorry Hermione. I never knew. Will you show me what she did to you?"

"Please not now Gin. Maybe some other day?"

Ginny nodded and went to hug Harry. Charlie was sitting still at the table looking into her eyes. She just gave him a small smile and went back to finish up at the counter. Molly immediately admonished the young ones away from the kitchen and promptly took over the reins.

The four walked to the den together. Once out of the kitchen, Charlie gave Hermione a side-long hug, rubbing her other shoulder and arm up and down. "You're a brave girl, Hermione, the bravest I've ever seen." He kissed her forehead then.

"No, am not, but thank you," Hermione blushingly stuttered.

!

"Do we really have to sleep like two stiff blocks of wood, witch?"

"What are you talking about?"

"From the minute we've returned after dinner, you've shut yourself up and now here we are, under torrential rose petals rain, lying down on our bed like two stiff blocks of wood. Is this really necessary?"

Molly, true to her word, had tried to make up to them by arranging a lovely red rose petal shower right on top of their bed! It was the first time after the war that she was sharing a bed with Charlie through the night and now that she was actually seeing him for him instead of being madly angry on him for some perceived insult like the time of their wedding day, she realized he looked hot without his t-shirt on, and their room had the faint aroma of roses and the petals were cascading down on him very seductively. She had taken in the scene and shut herself up before doing something stupid. But after thirty minutes of her self-inflicted torture, her means looked foolish to her and she thought maybe _not doing anything_ was the stupider course of action. Feeling a little bold after that logical thought, ahem…. She turned to face him, "What would you suggest we do Charlie?"

He turned on to his side and looked at her too. "Well, if I tell you exactly what I want to do maybe you'll blush much more, love."

True to his word, she blushed deeper.

"Someday love, not far from today, I'm gonna find out exactly from which point this lovely colour runs up you neck and cheeks."

She felt her blush deepen more.

He laughed at that, his deep throaty chuckle rumbling through his chest. _My beautiful blushing bride._ He pulled her close to him, wrapping his arms around her under their shared duvet. He placed his thumb and forefinger below her chin and pulled her face up to get her to look at him. "You're beautiful," he whispered and bent his head down and started kissing her. He peppered her face and neck with kisses and then attacked her lips. All the while he took utmost care to ensure his hands were only at the back of her neck and in her hair. She melted in his arms and it was all he could do to not take her there and then. But he held himself in check. After a long time, he felt her slumping on his chest. Smiling to himself, he held her closer still and slept soundly after a very long time.

!

He woke up the next morning to an empty bed. Lying there he just inhaled deeply. He could still smell her on his sheets. She smelled of warm spring days, like coconuts and sunshine. He tried to figure out where she was – there was no sound in the room but he also couldn't hear the shower running either. _It's too early for her to go down, isn't it?_

After 15 minutes, he left the warmth of the bed and went to look for her. The bathroom was obviously the best bet. Knocking on the door he asked, "Hermione are you in there?" No sound. "Love..?" Still no response. Twisting the doorknob he walked in and froze. There sitting in the bath, hugging her knees to her chest was Hermione, all covered in molten chocolate! His eyes went so wide with shock he thought they'd pop out.

"What happened?" he asked hardly believing the low throaty voice was his. His words seemed to shake her a little. She looked up at him dazedly, her eyes had glazed over and her lips were parted, she was running her tongue on her lips, way too erotically for Charlie's control.

"I think…..Molly…." was all she said but he understood. _My mother is trying to kill me!_ He groaned in frustration and walked out the bath. He was back within a second with a big fluffy yellow Turkish towel and his wand. Hermione's eyes widened when she saw Charlie's pajama bottoms pointing at her.

Wordlessly, he walked over till the tub, pulled her to stand and draped the towel along her body to cover her up. Then, as if he just could not control himself, he picked her off the tub and laid her down to sit on its edge, kneeling down in front of her.

"I wonder if it tastes as good," he murmured and straight away started licking the chocolate right of her shoulder, just where her tattoo was. Minutes passed or hours, Hermione was not too sure but she knew she did not want this end. He licked, nibbled and sucked at her skin till her tattoo was visible.

"I've been wanting to do that since the day you got it done." Saying that he got back to work and had almost licked her face, neck, shoulders and arms clean, before he came up for air again. Looking deeply into her eyes, he began to kiss her.

He tasted of chocolate – warm dark molten chocolate. Him and chocolates turned out to be a heady combination for Hermione. She moaned low in her throat and kissed him back with all she had. A low dull pulsating throb started somewhere deep within Hermione and she knew she wanted him to take it further, much further than mere kisses. She put her hands on his chest, pulling him closer, just as he held on to them before he broke the kiss.

"Finish your bath. I'll wait for you outside." He pointed his wand at the shower to change the spray back to water and then accioed a fresh towel for her and stepped outside. He sat on the edge of his bed with his head hung in his hands, reminiscing much like a man just awarded with the dementor's kiss. When she stepped out, he looked up, groaned aloud on seeing her in nothing but a towel again, picked up his towel from last evening and muttered "No amount of cold showers are ever gonna fix me up again," under his breath and walked into the bathroom without another glance her way.

Fortunately, Hermione heard him. She was beginning to wonder if he did not find her attractive enough to do anything with her anymore, but his parting shot sent a ray of hope to her heart. Maybe it was time to take some advice from Ginny after all. She dressed quickly and made her way to Ginny's room. Making sure to knock she entered only when called in and was glad to find Ginny alone. Not that she minded seeing Harry, it was just that it was better all-around if he didn't know what she was thinking of doing. She discussed her plan with Ginny and then happily made her way to the breakfast table.


	11. Chapter 11

- **CHAPTER 10** -

"I'll be spending the day with Bill," Charlie announced while running down the stairs, to the room at large and fled to the fire place shouting 'Shell Cottage' without making eye contact with anyone, especially a particular brunette sitting at the table.

Molly wondered if the couple had a spat while Hermione and Ginny smirked at each other. That clears up my day pretty neatly thought Hermione. After breakfast both girls left the Burrow for Diagon Alley. They had finished their Christmas shopping before Charlie's arrival so they only had their personal errands to run. They thought they'd grab a bite for lunch and then visit George later, before going back to the Burrow for the Christmas Eve party in the evening.

They stopped first at Madam Malkin's Robes shop and got new dresses for the evening's party as well as something for the New Year's. After that, they went to Rhubab's Lingerie Boutique, the brand new lingerie store in Diagon Alley that was the talk of most young witches these days. After shopping at both these places they walked over to the Leaky Cauldron for lunch.

!

Meanwhile, Bill was laughing his head off at the Shell Cottage listening to Charlie whine about how their mother was trying to kill him. "Tell me again, why aren't you making love to your own wife?"

"It's not that simple Bill."

"I'm coming to realise that with you it rarely is," joked his elder brother.

"Ours wasn't a love match Bill. But in spite of that I've fallen for her. Hard. But I need to know she is feeling the same about me too, to take it to the next level. Last time was different. We were both way too high on emotions but this is different, it's _permanent_. She is unlike anyone I've ever been with and I don't want to rush her. I don't want her to be with me yet again in a moment of heated passion and repent it later. I want her to be as invested in it as I am. I need her to know that she is _the one_ for me and I am it for her. I don't want to cloud her judgement with my abilities in bed. I need her to make this call independently, devoid my interference."

"Unfortunately little brother, I can't argue that logic. What you're trying to do seems pretty decent to me, difficult but decent."

"Yeah…. I was looking forward to spending these two weeks with her, that was before mum decided to kill me. Now, half the time I want to bed her hard, making her scream my name with abandonment and the other half I want to tuck my tail in and run for the hills. I'm going crazy Bill and it has not even been 24 hours yet."

"I had never thought I'd see you so worked up over a girl, Charlie, your wife no less. Come let's go down to the Leaky Cauldron. Let's get some firewhisky in you. Then maybe we could round up the guys and celebrate a little before heading down to the Burrow for the evening."

"Oh sweet Merlin! She'll be all dressed up tonight! Bill I'm a dead man."

"Come on, drama queen, it's the hunger talking. Let's get some food and alcohol in you. Now." Saying this, he grabbed Charlie by the collar and side-apparated him to Diagon Alley. They quietly made their way to the Leaky Cauldron. One lost in thought, and the other in laughter!

!

He saw them the minute they entered the busy bar. _Just my luck_.

"It's just not your day today, is it?" mused Bill, laughter in his voice. "Well, at least they have a table big enough to fit all four of us. Come lover boy, let's go."

"Hi there girls!" Bill greeted Hermione and Ginny.

"Bill, Charlie, what a pleasant surprise!" their sister cooed.

Charlie froze seeing a small bag on the table. It looked suspiciously like a lingerie bag. A look at the icon and all his doubts were clear. It indeed was a lingerie bag! "AAAHHHH!" he groaned out loud, from behind Bill and pulled at his hair with both his hands in the process. All three heads turned in his direction. Hermione saw his line of sight and immediately picked the bag up and threw in down on the floor kicking it between herself and Ginny. That spoke volumes about its ownership, thought Charlie bitterly. _Now my wife is helping my mum kill me!_

"Just avada me now Bill, don't make me live through this."

"You'll be fine with some food and firewhisky." Bill ordered for them both, Charlie had no idea what!

Charlie shrugged out of his jacket and opened up the top two buttons of his polo necked t-shirt, suddenly feeling way too warm for a December afternoon, and sat beside Hermione while Bill took the seat beside Ginny. Charlie drank and ate without having any clue about his food or his surroundings. He was only aware of Hermione. Her light blushes, her laugh, the way she scrunched up her nose after her first sip of firewhisky, her beautiful voice….. All in all he was a goner.

They all decided to walk to WWW together. Bill hung back and let the girls precede them, before grabbing Charlie's arm.

"What's wrong with you?" he asked Charlie angrily.

"She bought lingerie."

"So? It's not like she is parading it in front of you! Grow up, will you!"

"That's the problem! If she paraded it around, I'd know. But now, I'll be imagining. I can't take this anymore Bill, please do something. Anything. Something."

"You're begging to the wrong person, brother. Go speak to her. Explain why your acting like a lunatic and take it from there. And you better solve this before the party tonight. There are gonna be many important dignitaries present there and she has a reputation to maintain."

Charlie hung his head and nodded. He thought about everything for a few seconds before running off towards Hermione and Ginny, Bill pacing behind him.

"Could I please have a word with you Hermione?" he asked, his voice sounding strained. She looked at him, gulped and nodded. Bill caught up with Ginny and they both moved ahead giving them some privacy. Charlie held her hand and apparated them straight from the street to the lake near the Burrow. Before she could even get her bearings, he pushed her against a tree placing both his arms just under her shoulders, and kissed her. Soundly. Until she really was rendered senseless.


	12. Chapter 12

- **CHAPTER 11** -

"Now that we are both on the same page, let's talk."

"You want to….talk….now? After a kiss like that?"

"Yes. I needed you to understand my problem. Plus I needed that kiss more than I needed my next breath. But now, we need to talk. You are successfully driving me crazy, witch. Mum's untimely intervention is not helping either. Hermione, I'm aching for you. Look, I'm not trying to rush you into anything but I need something witch, anything but something. The smallest of the small of acts will do, but do something Hermione. All this is just too unbearable for me to continue like this."

"Charlie….but I'm ready to do everything with you. I ache for you too, you know."

"Aaaahhhhh!" _She has sworn to kill me_.

"Listen Hermione, I'd told you earlier, I'm not a man of many words. It's the actions that mean more to me. So I'll be saying this to you just once. Merlin knows I won't have the courage to reject the offer second time so make sure you mean it when you say it again. Irrespective of all that has and hasn't transpired between us in the past, we've barely met, never dated, and all of that; yet I fell for you. I don't know why, I don't know how and I don't know when. Your one look is enough to undo something deep within me. The way you light up in my arms, under my kisses sets me on fire. I'm falling for you and I'm falling hard. This, whatever's happening between you and me, needs to mean as much to you as it does to me. I won't have it any other way. I'm not looking for an immediate release or a quick jump in the hay with you. I want you in my life, with me, every day, till I die. I want to make sweet love to you and see your love shinning in your eyes when I come undone inside you. I refuse to do it any other way. But yes, we both find each other attractive and we are married there are things we could do other than sex to stay sane till you fall for me much as I've fallen for you. I won't force you into anything, ever. But I'd really appreciate it if you think of something."

"Just to be clear, till when are you planning on rejecting my advances?" Hermione asked a little defiantly, with ice glazing her voice, getting slightly annoyed since he'd refused her. The first man she ever propositioned, the man she'd lost her virginity to, her husband no less, refusing her flat out! _Boy! This is going to sting for a very long time._

"Till I see this," he said in no uncertain terms, pulling up her left hand between them and toying with her third finger. _The invisible ring!_ "By the way, why so bitchy all of a sudden?"

She saw red! "How dare you Charles Weasley?" she pushed at his shoulders and started walking towards him, her hair sparking in her fury. "In a single breath you told me that you are falling for me yet refuse to have an intimate relationship with me. You're the one I've lost my virginity to, the first man I've ever propositioned and you rejected me. Why? Because you can't see an enchanted ring! You were the one to plant all these ideas in my head on my birthday and then, barely a fortnight back, you reinforced them by demanding certain promises on yours, and now that I'm here ready to deliver, you're backing off! And to top it all up, you have the bloody cheek to ask me to come up with stuff? Go fuck yourself Charlie Weasley! That's all the move you're gonna get from me." Saying this she apparated away before she changed her mind and hexed him for good measure, leaving him standing there staring at the tree.

He'd be damned if he was going to follow her. He kicked the tree, the soil and a few random rocks that dared to lie on his way on his way back to the Burrow. But despite all his rage, he still bent down and picked her shopping bags up and took them with him to their room.

!

Hermione stormed into WWW, grabbed Ginny's wrist none too kindly and all but pulled her into the Three Broomsticks again. They both had a few rounds of firewhisky shots while Hermione ranted on about everything that had transpired between her and Charlie in the past hour. "That swine," Ginny agreed with Hermione at every turn and whispered encouraging swear words every now and then. She was the best girlfriend Hermione had ever had. Harry and Ron would have tried to make her see some sense but not Ginny. Even now instead of siding with her own brother she was helping Hermione plot her revenge.

"I really love you, you know that right Gin" Hermione told her in a very serious tone that turned out funny because of all her slurring.

"I love tou Mione, I reali do. Sometimez mozz thun azz me borthers."

They both hugged and cried at that. And that's exactly how George and Bill found them after two hours. Hugging, crying, kissing and expressing their love for each other.

"If only one half of this couple was not my sister, I would have enjoyed this far more," smirked George, before grabbing onto Hermione, while Bill caught Ginny and they both apparated them to the Burrow. They smuggled them into the den and got them to sit there.

Just when Bill was about to move to the kitchen to look for the hangover potion, the fire turned green and out came Ron, seeing Ginny and Hermione sitting way too close for comfort.

"Oh why are all my best friends falling for my sister?" he grumbled.

"Eh? What?" came Harry's voice from behind him. "Who's falling for your sister?"

"Mione" the whole room chorused.

"Thazz me" she slurred pointing at herself.

"Yez you ra," slurred Ginny right back.

"Ginny why does it look like you're kissing Hermione?" Ron asked a little flustered.

"Uhm… was I subbozzzed to krish you der?" Ginny turned towards Hermione.

"Oh no! Are we dared to do that again? When will people learn?" Hermione creased her brow as if trying to remember if they had been asked to kiss each other or not.

"Hey! I don't mind. You're such a grud krisher, mut badum than my frizzone."

"I'm getting some practise from Charlie. And you're better than my first one too!"

"Awww….."

"We should have never let them go to school by themselves" Ron said, rooted to the spot in shock.

"Do you think you could do this act with some other girl Mione? So that I could enjoy it more." George asked, shaking with laughter, eyes shining.

"Aa aa.. No no.. Gin's my girl."

"No Mione! That's _my_ girl" Harry mused finding this situation quite amusing.

"No Harry, I'm not your girl. How could you forget you are engaged to my beauty here."

"He porbot he was injed tu'me?" Ginny all but cried.

"No! No dear. I meant you, Ginny, are my girl."

"I yam?"

"You are?" Hermione pouted. "Then where will I go."

"That's enough witch, come I'll take you upstairs," No one had notice Charlie standing by the stairs, arms folded in front of his chest, face kept deliberately blank, until he spoke.

"Hey don't ruin our fun," George cooed.

"You mizzer ra inta dog pouz. You broomed ma loved strung. And new tou won't be Christmazzing for us."

"Yes! I agree with Gin. She and I are going to be Christmazzing together."

"What?" Harry screamed.

"Like hell!" Charlie shouted, stomping into the room and picking Hermione up bridal style, he took her to their room. "Someone please banish a hangover potion to my room," he ordered over his shoulder.

Harry did the same to Ginny, mumbling "Ditto," before carrying her to their room.

The other three Weasley boys had a hearty laugh. Then Bill and George left for their own place, while Ron went to the kitchen to look for some hangover potion.

!

Charlie set her down on her side of the bed and glared at her. "Why are you so skunk drunk, witch?"

"Cause you don't find me attractive enough to be intimate with me, you wizard."

"What! Did you even hear what I said by the lake?" Charlie was almost shouting by now.

"I heard plenty, thank you."

Just then the hangover potion came flying into their room. Uncapping the vial Charlie asked her to drink it.

"What is it?"

"Mum's special hangover potion. It'll knock you out for about half hour, but you'll wake up sober."

"What do I get if I drink this?"

"A clear head? At least that'll make one of us."

"No can do."

"Fine! What do you want?"

"You." Charlie froze. "You're my birthday gift from George. He told me to have my wicked way with you. You let me and then I'll drink this."

 _She is really pulling out all her aces to kill me._

"No. You drink this first. Then I'll let you have….me" he gulped, never believing she'd make such a deal with him.

"Promise?" He just nodded, the ability to speak having deserted him for the moment. "Okay."

She drank the full vial done in one gulp. "Eeew, its quite bad."

"I know."

Her eyes were fluttering shut and she fell back on the bed. "Sleep tight love," he said straightening her and placing a duvet to cover her. He kissed her on her forehead and walked towards his towel. _Could someone just avada me now?_ he thought, pulling his towel and stepping in the bathroom for one more cold shower. At this rate, he was gonna freeze himself to death. Well, at least he'll be out of this misery.

!

He was lying down beside her, shirtless as usual, when she woke up, about half hour later, almost to the dot. He had casually draped his right arm over his eyes and his left was under her head, supporting it.

"Hey Charlie.."

"Hhmm…"

"Why does my head hurt?"

"You tell me…"

"Uhm…" She snuggled close to him, nuzzling his chest with her nose. Then tilted her head back and started kissing him from his neck to his navel.

"What are doing, witch?"

"Listening to my husband. You asked me to give you something. I'm gonna give you all I can without blowing up."

He removed his arm from over his eyes and opened them then. "What?"

"I am gonna do with you whatever my instincts tell me to, till you ask me to stop. And my instincts are telling me to do this right now," saying this she dropped open mouth kisses across his broad shoulders. "Hhmm… I don't know about you but I'm loving this. Best idea ever Charlie!" then from his shoulders, she moved to his neck upwards, nibbling at his jaws. His 5 o' clock beard doing strange things to her tongue. She dipped her head lower to move her tongue behind his ears but was not able to reach the spot she wanted, so she got up and straddled him.

"Oh dear fucking Merlin," he groaned.

She smiled slyly at that and continued her work. She tipped her tongue just behind his ear and gave little bites on his lobe. Then she repeated her ministrations on his other ear. Moving down she peppered kisses all over his chest. Charlie was beginning to shudder beneath her and was trying to touch her too. "Nope. This is my project. You don't get a go," she whispered and flicked her wand, tying up his hands with silken ropes. "The more you fidget, the tighter they'll get. So I suggest you stay put, Mr. Weasley."

"You witch!"

She winked at him. _She actually winked at me!_ _The vixen!_ And she continued as if nothing had happened. She continued to pepper him with kisses. Then suddenly she sat up and started making her forefinger and middle finger walk on his flat tummy. Dipping her middle finger in his navel, she wondered out aloud, "So where do I go from here? Up?" and she feathered her fingers upwards, stopping just under his right nipple, then ghosted her forefinger all around it, getting the skin there to pucker up. "Maybe if I just…" she trailed off, dipping her head lower and taking his man nipple in her mouth and she sucked on it lightly. Then blew on it. Making him go hot and then cold. "I think I understand why boys love to do this. It feels so…..uhm…." she moaned jumping a little near his pelvis and throwing her head back, exposing her long slender neck. That was all the invitation Charlie needed.

In one swift motion he was on top of her, with her underneath him. He had managed to remove his ties and bind Hermione with them and he vanished her dress. "How did you do that?" her eyes widened in surprise, curiosity mingled with lust turning them almost black. She was now clad only in her inner wear. "That, witch, is for me to know and you to find out. Now, where were we? Yes, right here." Saying this, he dipped his head down on her right breast and carried on much the same way she was doing, adding a few open mouth kisses of his own, only he kept her bra on. When she thought she could take it no more, he moved his attention to her other breast, mirroring his previous movements. She wasn't sure if she was happy that she was wearing one of her few older lace bras. She was happy she was dressed in something sexy, even if it was a boring brown in colour and she remembered him saying he liked lace but the problem was she could feel his tongue through it and that touch was searing her. He had started nibbling her areola and the friction created by his teeth and the lacy fabric was driving her crazy.

"Charlie…." she moaned.

"Yes love," he moved the nibbling to the other side.

She started lifting her waist up and grinding against his groin. She didn't know what possessed her to make such a bold move but she wanted this so badly.

"Soon love….Soon enough….."

But he took his time re-familiarising himself properly with her beautiful body, from the tip of her toes to the top of her head. He noted every single change that time and the war had wrought on her body and filed it all to memory, knowing he'd just have those after two short weeks again.

He kept muttering sweet nothings all the while he ran his lips and tongue all over her. Just when he was saying something extremely provocative a deep blush ran up her cheeks.

"So this is where it all begins. I'd told you I'd find out soon," he said ghosting his fingers just above her breasts, and following it by many open mouthed kisses. He worked his way up from there and halted at her lips, kissing her within an inch of her life. And then he started mimicking the act of sex with his tongue, sliding it in and out of her mouth.

She moaned deeply and he throbbed painfully. He then vanished off her silken ties and intertwined his fingers with hers placing both their hands on either side of her head. Continuing the same kiss, he started moving his lower body in rhythm to it, grinding his extremely erect boxer-clad penis on her very wet panties. Hermione felt her eyes roll into her skull. She was reduced to a moaning, slithering blob under him.

He continued his actions for a few more minutes, and despite their lack of the most intimate touch, they both came, one after the other. He went slack on top of her, burying his head in her bra-clad breasts, the minute he was done, just a few seconds after she came tumbling down from her climax.

He wrapped his arms around her, scrougifying them both simultaneously, while she hugged him back, both sweaty in the cool December evening, yet happy in each other's warm embrace. After a long time, Hermione spoke, "I never knew this was possible."

She felt his smirk on her breast. "If you want I'll give you special trainings, witch."

"I think I'd like that." Saying this they both dozed off for a little while.


	13. Chapter 13

- **CHAPTER 12** -

By the time they woke up, it was almost party time. They rushed through their showers and flung their clothes on. "Probably a good thing I don't bother too much about how I look," said Hermione at one point.

"That's cause you'll look good in even in a potato sack. Though I must say, this is a major improvement over potato sacks," Charlie whistled looking her over appreciatively, while tucking his own shirt in. She was wearing a green full sleeved dress that stopped right at her knees. It hugged her from waist up and flared around from waist down. It was in a very soft silk, emerald green in colour from below the shoulders and shoulder up, along with the sleeves was intricately hand knit lace, matching the dress in colour. Her only accessories were her seldom used high heels that she charmed to match her dress and big pearl ear studs. She had tied her hair back in a messy bun exclaiming that that was the one style that was easiest with her hair as it was always messy! Her only make up was a stick of lip gloss run across her lips lending them shine, no colour. And for the first time Charlie realised what a wonderous natural beauty his wife truly was.

They walked out the room, arm in arm, talking softly while making their way towards the party outside. The Burrow's backyard had been charmed to maintain a decent temperature and the party was just starting when they made their entrance. They went and spoke around to the few guests present and then walked towards a large table set at the back. Sitting down, Charlie asked if Hermione wanted a drink, she declined claiming she had probably had enough in the noon.

"What about you? What will you be drinking?"

"Nothing. I rarely ever bother. I prefer keeping a clear head."

"Oh. Uhm.. Can I ask you something?"

"You just did but sure, anything love."

"How are you able to do all that wandless magic?"

"I was wondering how long you'll wait before asking that again," he smirked. "I must say though, you lasted longer than I had expected. I am a dragon keeper Hermione. Fumbling around for wands is not always an option and a second's delay can mean death. I have been practising the art for the last 8 years. I can do about the medium-high difficulty wards, hexes and curses wandless. I am working on the higher difficulty ones now. Having the wand close to me helps so I always have it on my person, but I don't always need to mutter a spell or use it to get things done, unless I'm extremely worked up and find concentrating difficult. I'm working on that too since the past four months." He replied looking at her, hinting at his words having a deeper meaning but before she could ask about it, they were joined by their family.

"How do you feel Mione?"

"Much better. How about you Gin?"

"I'll live."

And the general chatter around them ensued. They spoke to everyone but Charlie rarely let go of her hand and through most of the party was absentmindedly drawing circles in her inner wrist. By the end of the party, it felt chaffed. Sometime at the peak of the party Harry and Ginny's engagement was announced and toasts were made all around, congratulating the happy couple. The couple though had eyes just for each other and kissed their way through all the celebrations.

When the crowd started dwindling, Charlie tugged at Hermione's arm and they proceeded to take their leave from all. They walked back to the homestead together, peaceful in their silences.

!

After they came back from the party, they continued from where they'd left earlier. For tonight, Molly had their room full of floating candles, their light making the entire scene a tad too romantic. The kisses started as soon as the door shut, as if neither was able to control anymore. They made it across the room and onto the bed somehow.

He took great pleasure in removing her dress the muggle way, it had felt like opening an early Christmas gift to him. And what a gift it had been! She was wearing two tiny scraps of emerald green silk underneath that modest dress. _She is like a sexy angel, all calm and composed on the outside and all warm and wanton on the inside,_ he mused. Simply looking at her clad in that barely there lingerie sent him to fever pitch, making him fumble with his clothing, trying hard to rid himself of them, to feel all of her skin through every part of his. She quickly kneeled at the bed's edge and helped enthusiastically, throwing all his discarded clothes carelessly over his shoulders. He devoured her and she met him all the way.

"Aahh love… you're still so soft and supple. I'd happily just touch you all my life," he said when they came up for some air.

She laughed at that. "And for someone who is known as a man of few words, you sure yap in the bedroom!"

Then they both laughed, remembering a similar conversation they had had just after their wedding.

Charlie rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb, as she spoke, "You must have had a hearty laugh in your head the last time. I was being so stupid and naïve."

He smiled at that. "I'm pretty sure all my laughs were out loud and that you proved me to be the stupid one soon enough," but he continued rubbing her hand.

"Charlie.. I am sorry. Last time, I almost forced you into this. If I hadn't… you'd still be a free man," she whispered, not really making eye contact. "I was so high on emotions, but I'd bottled them well before that. And then I don't know why, I just lashed out on you and put the two of us in this predicament."

He half smiled at that. "I hear that's what husbands are for. So their wives can lash out on them whenever their moods fancy it." He pouted his lips and kept rubbing her hand, staring at it. "Do you… do you repent it Hermione? Consummating our marriage?"

He didn't know why he had asked her that. That question had plagued him since the evening of Bill's wedding when she'd disappeared with Harry and Ron. He was sure he didn't want to know the answer but somewhere deep down he still needed to hear from her that his lack of control hadn't upset her entire life.

Hermione looked at Charlie bewildered. "No! I meant what I said about holy matrimony! When I said 'I do' to you that day, that was that. You were the only one for me since then. But I just felt bad about ruining your life. You had it going all too well Charlie, and then I breezed in and set your world up side down. I feel bad about taking the choice of separation away from you."

He nodded at that, "You did set my world up side down but.. not for the reasons you think. I… I knew you were smart and witty.. I saw your loyalty that day… and I knew that was a difficult combination to find." He stopped the rubbing and looked right in her eyes, "When you were leaving, your head held high, eyes lit with your rage, something snapped in me. I pulled you back because I… I couldn't let you go. I knew I didn't want to let you go…. I…" he took in deep breath at that. "I just feel bad about the entire thing being forced on you like this."

"It wasn't as bad as you think. I… I had a little crush on you since the summer before my fourth grade. Since the quidditch world cup actually and then seeing you at the castle, working with the dragons later that year… it all just….."

He gave a soft smile at that. "If it helps any, I've been crazy about my wife too."

She gaped at him after that. "What?"

He smiled. "Baby, you came to me a virgin on our martial bed. There's very little a man won't do for his bride after a gesture like that." He looked her in the eyes again when he said this, "I'll always be indebted to you for that… _always,_ " and he bent his head down and kissed her, soundly, longingly, lovingly. He built the pace again, signalling that their time for chat was over and he soon had Hermione moaning and slithering under him, as he kissed his way around her jaw and neck.

When he reached her chest, he just pulled her strapless green bra down and they exposed her pert breasts to him. "Ah… I've so missed you two," he groaned and latched on to them hungrily, much like he had done on their wedding day.

She arched her back as he reached his hand behind her to unhook her bra and tugged at his hair when he finally took her cool rosy mound in his warm mouth; and she moaned his name and bit his shoulder before collapsing on his pillow, when she came around the two fingers he had inserted deeply inside her.

"You're still so tight love. If I didn't know any better, I'd have sworn you were a virgin," he said as he brought her close to him, softly caressing her hair.

She blushed fumbling, "Charlie, I…. That was the only time… there… hasn't been anyone else."

He gave her a soft smile at that and kissed her forehead. "I know," he said and continued, "There.. hasn't been anyone else since then for me too. And… that was not just because of the promise either, but…" he looked at her with burning eyes, "my feisty bride spoilt me for every other woman and witch. I would have kept my promise, but it helped that I just never felt like it with anyone else after that," he admitted.

She looked at him intrigued, "But…. But it's been more than a year and a half!"

His laugh at that was mirthless, "I know… But my wife was busy elsewhere and she is the only one who's captured my mind and heart since our wedding day."

She got up at that, her happiness at his words shining in her eyes, and proclaimed it was her chance to pay homage to his perfect body. She promptly straddled him then, re-igniting him with kisses and soft nibbles, then when she saw he could take it no more, she'd turned and pulled him free of his boxers. She had her back to his face while she sat on his chest, bending over and speaking to his erection, making it throb even harder.

"I never really got to see you properly last time around," she said running tentative fingers over it, up and down and then around and clutched it before starting a soft rhythm. He banged the back of his head on the bed out of sheer exhilaration. And then, she bent down and licked him. Her small licks had turned into light nibbles before she swallowed him whole in her mouth, setting a newer, faster pace. Her teeth grazed him and he had to grit his teeth in and fist the sheets to keep from turning her and plunging in her depths. Then finally, he found his release.

After a few moments, during which he scrougified them, his witch turned to look at him shyly and asked if it was okay. "You're just amazing, you know that," he said, letting all his love for her shine in his eyes, pulling her close and kissing her doubts away. They both slept sometime after that, finding solace in each other's arms, under their warm duvet.


	14. Chapter 14

- **CHAPTER 13** -

It was early on Christmas morning when he woke up, used to early mornings because of his job. It was snowing outside, making the surroundings ethereally beautiful. His wife was snuggled close to him under their duvet. Life, for Charlie Weasley, was amazing. Now, if only she fell in love with him, all would be perfect. But he was alright with this pace. After all a lot had happened in the past day and a half. He smiled remembering their night. _I love you_ he thought, snuggling her in a little closer, kissing her forehead and then he closed his eyes, wanting to prolong this intimacy with her. It was Christmas Day so he knew their day was gonna be packed with family, so spending these few extra minutes with her was essential, he justified to himself.

!

The clock had just struck 6, when Hermione woke up. Being Christmas Day, she knew all would be down for breakfast by 7 today, greedily shuffling food down their throats before running under the tree to open their gifts. She nuzzled in a little closer to her husband, debating if she had time to spend a few more minutes hugging him like this or should she do the wise thing and wake up. For once in her life, Hermione did not feel like doing the right things, the wise things, the expected things. She wanted to throw caution to the winds and enjoy every moment with Charlie before they separated again. She couldn't wait to be done with her exams! And then she thought about it. _We've never discussed our future!_

"You're up with a lot of thoughts for a beautiful Christmas morning," Charlie spoke in her ears, eyes still shut, voice still sleepy.

"Hey Charlie, we need to talk," was all she said, still lost in deep thought.

"Uh oh! That sounds ominous. Would you like to talk now or do you want to do it later?"

"I'd prefer now, but I think we don't have the time. We'll have to be down by 7 right?"

"Baby, no one's gonna care. They'll just think we're having our own private celebration up here. So we might as well talk now and put your mind at ease, so you can enjoy the festivities happily later. Just, be ready to be teased mercilessly once we make an appearance downstairs. So, what is it?" he asked all serious now, turning to face her, propping his head on his elbow, looking at her intently.

"We've never really discussed about us. I mean what we'll do later, after I leave from Hogwarts."

"Oh that! Well, I've been working towards it for the past few months."

"You have? What have you thought about it then?"

"I was thinking of short listing a few houses before your next break and then tugging you around to see them over your break time. So that by your spring break we get it readied and by the time you graduate, we'd have our house to move in to. I've also spoken to my boss back at the reserve. I've been meaning to start a small reserve of my own up in Scotland for a long time now. I bought the place a few months back when the rates were at an all-time low because of the war. Wise investment that was too. It's not as big as the reserve I work at in Romania, but it's big enough to house about fifty dragons while they're tended to and brought back to health before transporting them to other better suited reserves for them. It'll be more like a nursing and healing place for the newly captured dragons before they are shifted into facilities that cater better for their specific needs. We also have a small cottage there on the property by the way. But I thought we should still have a proper house around here, you know somewhere safe to raise the kids. But till we find it, we can always stay at the cottage there. I've also done a lot of extra courses over the years and I'm one of the best Dragon Keepers in the world now so I keep getting requests to conduct trainings. So, I'm thinking of employing novices at my reserve in Scotland, so that I can train them and bring in a better generation of dragon keepers for the future. Trust me when I say this, dragons are getting meaner and the keepers are looking stupider these days. Plus, when I was fresh out of Hogwarts, I had found it difficult to get placed, so I'm trying to train the younger folks to help them have an easier go. My boss helped spread word around a little, and I've already been requested to have tie-ups with quite a few other reserves for helping them train their new breed of dragon keepers, but I digress. So well, yeah, that's about it. What else, lay it on."

"Well, that kind of raises more questions in my mind, so I'll just ask them one after the other. I like your idea of having a house here. I think it's the wise choice. But I agree that if you already have a cottage up in Scotland, we can wait till we find the perfect place that suits both our needs. For now, we can just use that - you'll be closer to your work place and we can always just connect the floo network with mine, wherever I work. So now, a few big questions. How many kids do you want to have? What do you expect me to do once we have them? I would like to pay for half the cost of our house. We need to shoulder the expenses together and I would like for you to understand that before we start anything."

He kissed her nose at that. "Okay, going chronologically, I'd love to have as many kids as you decide to give me, whenever that may be, whether it be one or ten. I'd like for us to be available for our kids. That's one of the reasons I'm starting this stint of my own. Between the two of us we could work out our hours such that at least one of us would be available for the children at any given point. And no! I won't have you paying a single sickle towards the house or any other things we may need thereafter."

"Charlie, I've got enough money from the ministry for my services during the war. I'd like for you to help me take up my share of the responsibilities."

"No way. You are my responsibility and so are all of our future kids. You keep the money that the ministry gave you, blow it up or invest it, I don't mind. If you want I can suggest ways for you to put it to good use. But that's not going be in our home. After all my recent expenditures, I still have enough money that not just us but our next three generations wouldn't need to lift their fingers to work. Do you not know how much your husband makes in a year?"

"No."

He looked at her intrigued now. _And yet she married me!_ "What did you know about me when you agreed to marry me, witch?"

"Well… We needed a Weasley and Tonks suggested you. I was told you didn't have a steady girlfriend nor were you in love with anyone," then she laughed a little, "Tonks said you weren't a git like Percy." They both laughed again. "And unlike the twins, you weren't in the thick of things, so…" she shrugged.

He stared at her dumbfounded. "So my highest qualifications as far you were concerned were that I was a non-git philanderer working way too far out?"

She scrunched her nose at that. "You make it sound so bad. But it wasn't that bad. After you agreed, Fred and George played a game with me and I learned a lot about you then."

"Like what?"

"Like you are maniacal while learning new things, you love new challenges that stretch your abilities, you love animals way more than humans, you were a sheer bane to mother's existence and that…" her eyes sparked with mischief, "you are a mischievous quick witted sex God."

"Really?" he asked, his eyes reflecting her mischief. "And whosoever said that about me?"

She jumped him then and kissed him seductively before winking, "I did." Then eyeing him curiously, "What about you? Why did you agree to this all?"

He shrugged, cradling her on top of him and running his big calloused hands over her back. "Honestly, I wanted to do my bit for the war but Dumbledore had specifically instructed me to stay away. So, my first reason was that. Then I thought a lot about you and realized my whole family loves you which meant if our marriage matured into something permanent, you'd fit in seamlessly. I knew you were beautiful, smart and as _maniacal_ as me when it came to learning something new. I figured if we'd like to, we could make it work between us."

"And," he moved his arm to cup her hands in his and began rubbing the back of her hand with his thumb, "I'm glad we did. I … I don't think I'd like to imagine my life without you. It would be," he stopped as if searching for the right word and then looking at her right in the eyes, "meaningless," he whispered and shrugged.

She blushed at that, looking away. And he just looked at her for some time.

Then he continued, "I've been making about five hundred thousand galleons annually for the past few years. Between dragon keeping, trainings and all my other activities that has been my income, give or take a few thousands. And based on the response I'm getting for the Scotland reserve, I'm expecting it to go up considerably within the next two years."

He laughed at her wide eyed expression. "It always helps to work in the field you're passionate about, then everything comes naturally to you," he said and kissed her nose.

Shaking herself, Hermione found her speech again, "I never knew dragon keeping was quite that profitable a profession!"

Charlie chuckled again. "It's a high risk job so they compensate accordingly to draw in the best of the crowd for it. Plus, I also harvest dragon parts well enough, considerably reducing the losses, for which the owner of my reserve in Romania has been kind enough to grant me a small percentage of the profits he makes. And even with as small a percent that may sound, genuine dragon parts are extremely expensive, so the overall amount sums up to a good big chunk," he shrugged nonchalantly.

"So, my sexy little witch," he said, pushing a stray curl of her hair behind her ear, "if you want to put your money to good use, you could think of starting a small orphanage for the war orphans. It's one of the ideas I've been toying with after the war. In the early days, every time I saw Teddy, my heart broke for Tonks. That's when I realised he was not alone, and at least he is blessed with a loving second family. Everyone has not been that lucky. If you want to share with me in something, you can pitch whatever you want for this, help me shoulder my responsibilities there. That way both of us are happy. It's a win-win all around."

Hermione teared up at that. _How did I get so lucky? He is not just a veritable sex God, but he is kind, loving and caring. He not only cares deeply for his family and his work, but looks to shoulder some social responsibilities too._ He was all she had ever wanted in her husband and more. "I never realised how lucky I am to have you," she whispered and kissed him softly. Her kiss spoke volumes about what she thought of him and soon they were both lost. It was gone 9 by the time they actually got out of bed, showered, dressed and made their way down for breakfast.

!

True to his word, they were teased mercilessly by his siblings, not that they minded, far from it. They'd all opened their gifts before their arrival, so Charlie and Hermione just banished theirs to their room, to open later and stepped out with the others for a walk through the snow covered yard.

She slipped her hand in his during the walk and as if he had planned on it, he slid something on her ring finger. When she turned around to look at him, he bent his head and pecked her lips. "Merry Christmas, love," he smiled, showing his perfect white teeth. "Merry Christmas, Charlie," she smiled back and then pulled her hand up to see what he had put on it. It was a beautiful solitaire ring, placed in a yellow gold band. Simple yet elegant.

"Charlie, it's beautiful. But you didn't have to."

"Yes, I did. I owed you an engagement ring. This stone here," he said pointing at the big two carat square cut hunk of a rock, "is a natural mood stone. It's about a thousand times rarer than diamonds. It's called so because it changes colours according to the moods of the giver. So now you'll always know what I'm feeling, however far I may be. I want you to know me in and out, so I got you this. But if you'd like something else, we can always pick it up later, whenever you feel like it, your choice."

"No, you don't have to do that. I love this one! But if it's so rare it must be very expensive." He quirked up an eyebrow at that, not bothering with a reply.

"Okay…. How will I know what these colours mean?"

"Now that's my witch, always an academic. There's a booklet that came with the ring. It's in our room. But," he whispered a little naughtily, "you're gonna have to earn your access to it." He winked at her and left to join his brothers ahead.


	15. Chapter 15

- **CHAPTER 14** -

Christmas Day and a few days after, passed in a blur. Charlie was being a super attentive husband, they were burning up the sheets in the bed and having fun out of it too. He was always thinking up ways to challenge her and keep her on her toes.

On the evening of Christmas Day, after they had opened their presents and put them away, he had unwrapped her gift and loved it. She knew he was as quidditch crazy as the other boys, if not more, so she had gotten him the new Thunderbolt, an update on the previous Firebolt, on Harry's and Ron's recommendation. He had loved it, eyes shining and hands itching to try it but Hermione had asked him to stay put, not letting him fly out in the poor weather. So he had come up with a way for her to make him stay in, earning her booklet at the same time. Tying her eyes shut with a silk tie, while insisting that she needed to hone her other sensory skills too, he had made her look around for clues for finding her ring's booklet. In those clues, he had somehow managed to weave in chocolate coated strawberries, enchanted mistletoes, a little bit of stripping, a few riddles and some basic wandless magic from her. By the time she had found the booklet, she was flushed with excitement and wet with arousal.

Charlie had then picked her up right off the floor and she had placed her legs around his waist. Reaching his writing desk, he had set her atop it, stripping off her remaining clothes – her lacy bra and matching panties, the colour matching his eyes. She was still blind folded, but that had only heightened her pleasure as she had been relying on her four other senses, smelling the chocolate and strawberries on his breath, tasting the salt on his skin whenever he was close enough for her to kiss, feeling him through every pore of her skin and hearing him slide across her body, as he had knelt down, parted her legs and slid his fingers in her core. When the pressure had built, he had pulled his fingers out and she had groaned her complaint. "My wanton witch," he had laughed huskily, and then, without any notice, had pushed her back on the desk, knelt low and opened her folds with both his thumbs, using his elbows to keep her knees spread apart and then he had slid his tongue into her. She had jerked straight up and he had had to pushed her down again, gently, that time spreading his one hand on her stomach to stop her from moving again, and using his other hand's thumb to rub circles around her clit then continued his ministrations with his tongue, tasting her intimately after so many long months. She had moaned and called out for him and much to her embarrassment, she had come for him just there. She had hidden behind her hands after that and he had gently pulled them away and kissed first her closed eye lids, then her nose and finally her lips, thanking her for the beautiful Christmas gift she had given him. And she had blushed and buried her face in his chest wrapping her arms around his shoulders and he had draped his arms lovingly around her, picking her up once again and carrying her back to their bed.

!

The day after Christmas when the entire household had gone out shopping for Boxer's, they had remained at home, opening up the vial with Rosco's heart string in it, recording her wand's reaction to the magic it emitted. It was then that he had informed her that his wand's core was a dragon heartstring too. They had then recorded his wand's reactions as well (though he had already done that, he wanted Hermione to experience the subtle differences between the two wands' reactions too). Surprisingly for her, despite the entire house being empty, they had then spent the evening crowding around the small kitchen table, with cups of hot chocolate in hand, which much to her further astonishment had been prepared by Charlie using her recipe without her reminding him of any ingredient even once. With their heads bent over the notes, using differential diagnosis to study the two reactions and cross-referencing them with his earlier recorded ones, they had spending an amicable and enjoyable evening. Charlie had then fondly recollected to her, his wand's first few jerky vibrations with a nostalgic smile on his lips, eyes warm with the memory. He had then confided in her a little sheepishly that thereafter he had always checked if his wand reacted differently to different species to just figure out which one was used in his wand. It had apparently taken him more than 20 odd tries to come up with an affirmative answer and identify the species – Hungarian Horntail, that's when he had gotten his bicep tattoo made on his wand hand, in the loving memory of the unknown dragon that had lost his life but lived on in his wand, wanting to keep him close to his heartstring even after his death.

The new experience of having someone share her love for knowledge had warmed Hermione's heart. The Charlie she had seen by the shed that morning, all careful and academic was so different from the one she had first envisioned him to be, she was ridden with guilt for judging him without really knowing anything about him.

One look at her had told Charlie that his little witch was not fine. Concerned, seeing her far from happy expressions, he had trapped her between himself and the kitchen counter when she got up to wash the cups, till she let it slip. He hadn't known what to say to comfort her so had done the only thing he knew that would take away her pain, and bent his head down and kissed her guilt away, lightly wiping at the small drops of tears edging her eyes with his callused thumbs. And just like that she had melted in his arms. He had picked her up and carried her back to their room, wordlessly getting all their stuff pack itself and follow behind them.

!

It had all been a blissful dream come true for Hermione. She had started trusting him, craving him and really talking to him. One day, without much preamble she had even confided in him about her torture. She had told him everything and showed him the 'mudblood' carved on her hands. He had not spoken a word as if understanding she didn't need them. He had instead held her close, burying one hand in her hair, slowly massaging her scalp and the other running comfortingly up and down her arm. That night he had taken extra care to kiss every letter of her scar tenderly and told her how proud he was of her and her heritage and how he wouldn't change anything even if he ever could. She had all but melted at that.

Their days were full of snow fights, tickle fests, scrumptious meals and games with the other young adults residing at the Burrow, and their nights were turning ever more creative to get as close to one another as possible, without really doing the deed. They had come a very long way in the past few days, their closeness both scaring and astounding Hermione. But she was happy so she never complained.

Until it was the 31st morning. A few things changed that day…


	16. Chapter 16

- **CHAPTER 15** -

They were sitting in the den after their breakfast, thinking of ways to ring in the new year. Ginny was on Harry's lap, on the armchair by the fire. Ron and George were on the sofa, legs spread out on the table in front of them. Percy was perched at the other sofa, beside Fleur and Bill. Hermione was at her favourite spot by the window reading a book, with feet tucked beneath her and Charlie sitting beside her, leaning a little on the same window, smiling on seeing her yet again engrossed in a book, when the fire burned green and out flew a letter, straight at Charlie. He caught it with his exceptional seeker skills, much before it hit his face and scanned its contents, his demeanour changing from relaxed to worried in a heartbeat. "What's wrong?" they all asked.

"It's from the reserve. A few of our rare breed eggs are hatching early and they want me to come in for a day to have a look at them" he replied, looking intently at Hermione. She bit her lip. He had to go, she knew, but she felt bad that they wouldn't ring in the New Year together.

He looked at her deep in thought, then asked, "Would you come with me? In fact," he added on as an afterthought, "Would you all come along with me? I just have to work for a few hours, till then you all could take a look at the reserve and then we could go to the neighbouring town for the mid-night celebrations, crash at my place for the night and be back tomorrow after breakfast. What do you all think?"

Hermione didn't even have to think about her answer. "I'll come," she was the first one to say.

"Sounds interesting but are you sure that'll be okay?" asked Ginny. He nodded. She looked at Harry. "We'll come too," he said.

"Can I bring a date?" that was Ron. Charlie laughed at that. "As long as it's not against her will," he said. Then they all laughed. "Whatever," Ron grumbled. "I'll ask her and be back," He stepped into the fireplace and was gone.

"I can't. I want to but I can't. It's too soon for me," was all George said, "Besides I might be out with Lee tonight."

"I can'z travel" Fleur said apologetically, "So obviously I'm not coming either," Bill grinned and winked at Fleur, making her mutter seductively in French. Hermione, who also spoke the language turned red at her words, making Bill, Fleur and Charlie laugh at her reaction.

"You know French?" she asked of Charlie aghast.

He bit his lip in, "What do you think witch?" And that got a few more chosen phrases from Fleur, making Hermione go red all over again, with Charlie looking at her mischievously, eyebrows raised.

Percy had a ministry ball to attend, so he too declined.

Arthur and Molly also declined, wanting to stay with George. They had also planned on attending the ball, so they just stuck with their plans.

While Harry, Ginny, Hermione and Charlie went up to their room to pack, Ron got back his date to the Burrow with her bag packed for the night over. Charlie had informed the reserve and the ministry about their travel so that their waiting time would reduce, not that he was expecting the ministry to make them wait, what with Harry Potter in tow! But he'd still done the needful.

By the time they all came down, dressed for the travel, Molly had their lunch ready. Ron made the introductions all around. Rosa, his date, knew Harry of course, since they were training together and greeted him warmly. She muttered all the right things when she was introduced to Ginny and Hermione.

When the introductions turned to Charlie, she froze. "Oh sweet Merlin! You're Charlie Weasley, the Dragon Keeper, aren't you? Wow! You're hot!" All the others present froze at that. "Have we met before?" Charlie asked politely, brows furrowed, expressions none too happy.

"No, unfortunately we haven't, but I've heard so much about you." Charlie turned to Ron for some clarification but saw him mirroring his confusion. "By the Chinese Fireballs! I just don't believe I'm here meeting you. I'm so stupid for not having picked on this before. Ron of course told me about his brother who did dragon keeping in Romania but I just didn't put that and his last name together!" she ranted on. Then stopped on seeing everyone's shocked expressions, then continued, "Oh, let me clear things up! Sorry. I'm Rosa, Rosa Buchenroft, daughter of Evan Buchenroft" she stammered, hero worship shining in her eyes as she spoke to Charlie.

"Oh!" Charlie's expression finally cleared up. "You're Evan's daughter. Nice to meet you. How are your father and brothers? Doing well I hope" he pattered back.

"Welcome to my club for irritated wives of famous wizards," whispered Ginny in Hermione's ears.

"They're good," she just waved that off. "I have been crushing on you since I was 8! I just bet my little brothers are going to get extremely jealous when I tell them I spent my New Year's eve kissing Charlie Weasley." She then turned around to face the others who were frozen yet again, "We've all grown up on stories of his feats! In fact" she turned back to Charlie then, "I think I have sketches of my version of you somewhere in my room, from back when I was 12!"

And then she added a little too sultrily for Hermione's liking, "Just in case you were wondering, no, they don't do you any justice. I never quite knew your eyes were just so…blue," she informed Charlie, looking at him right in the eyes.

Charlie uncomfortably shifted his weight from one leg to another, not knowing what to do next and Hermione was extremely flustered. She glared at Ron, who went to pull Rosa back to him. Thankfully Molly chose that moment to serve lunch and everybody shuffled to the dining room.

Charlie took a corner seat and Hermione promptly seated herself beside him. But Rosa sat opposite him with Ron beside her, opposite Hermione.

"So how do you know Rosa's father Charlie?" asked Molly out of curiosity for the girl accompanying her youngest son. Everyone looked at Charlie, waiting for his answer.

"He owns almost half the world's dragon reserves," supplied Charlie.

"And he has met him at least 50 times to get him to work with him, even offering high percentage in the profits and a partnership. If only he'd even half thought you were the settling kinds, he'd have had me married to you just to have your name attached to the firm. Not that I'll be complaining about that idea anymore, you're drop dead gorgeous!" she winked at him, then blushingly added, "I mean, imagine, 'Buchenroft and Weasley'. We'd be like the Potters of the international dragon scene. Think of all the good you can do for the dragons then," Rosa said looking straight at Charlie.

He just glowered at her then, and replied bitingly, "I am married already! Hermione is my wife and I'm crazily in love with her. And I would appreciate it if everyone understood that before we left. And just in case _you_ were wondering, all the kissing that's happening with me all through my life will be with her and her alone."

Everyone around the table looked at him bewildered again, and he just glared at them all, agitated. "What part confuses you all? The one where I said Hermione is my wife, the one where I said I love her or the one where I said I'd be kissing her senseless all my life?" he asked temper rising and everyone promptly dug into their meals giving meaningful looks at Hermione, who turned a nice shade of Weasley red at that declaration.

Rosa completely changed her tunes after that, muttering, "Well, they weren't lying about your temper," under her breath.

!

After lunch they left for the ministry, for their portkey. As Charlie had expected, thanks to the Golden Trio, they were given a portkey straight to the reserve's office within 15 of their arrival. He held Hermione's hand and whispered in her ears, "I'm so glad you're coming with me, Mione. I so badly wanted to kiss you at mid-night tonight. Had you said no, I'd have tried my hand at international apparition again. And I did not want to waste the next two days in bed recuperating instead of picking more memories to last me for the next four months," looking into her eyes he kissed her nose and walked away to set up a return portkey for the next day.

 _Did he just mention international apparition in a sentence with the word again in it?_ She had truly married an enigma and she ached with the need to understand him, she thought looking down at her ring that had turned pink. Eyes widening, _Ah! Stupid me! And I remembered to pack my other books!_ she cursed herself for forgetting the booklet at the Burrow in the hustle and bustle of the last minute packing frenzy.


	17. Chapter 17

- **CHAPTER 16** -

"There he is" was their welcoming sentence.

"Guys, this is Matthew, an old friend. We joined the reserve together. He'll be with you all today, showing you all around. I'll be over at the hatchery and will see you all in a bit," he turned around and pecked Hermione lightly on her lips before disappearing with other men waiting for him. He was so completely different here, in his element, she thought as she watched him go.

"I've got myself precious cargo here," Matt mused. "Now, let me see if I have this right. You, lovely lady, must be Ginny, the youngest sister," he said smiling and shaking her hand. "Yes, I am," she smiled back. "And this must be the famous Harry Potter, her fiancé." He shook Harry's hand too. "Pleasure to meet you." "This other ginger, must be a brother. Since you have both your ears and are standing with Harry Potter, I am gonna take a wild guess and say you're Ron." "Too right mate," Ron took his hand and introduced his date. "Rosa Buchenroft? As in daughter of Evan Buhenroft?" "Yes," she smiled and shook his hands. "You might want to hold on to her tight mate, every single guy here will be clamouring for her attentions, for one reason or another," he warned Ron, before turning to look at Hermione. "And you must be the missus! It is a long awaited honour to meet you. That nut of a husband of yours has been riding our backs the whole of December to ensure nothing cut short his holiday with you! By the end of it, we were just happy to have him go! Alas, the eggs were out of our domain of control. I don't have a pensive here, else I would have shown you how he dances when your letters come. And you should've seen him on the year of your run. He was going crazy. Not that he let anyone see, but him and I are old mates so I knew. And then when he thought he'll be with you for two weeks! Raving Rowena! He kept alternating between nervous excitement and torturous working schedules, by the end of November, I had to round up a few other guys and we cornered him to make him sane again. Biggest mistake of my life! The next day onwards he rode all our backs and drove us up against the walls!" Matt laughed and they all joined in. Hermione, having a vivid imagination, actually saw Charlie doing all these things and her heart missed a beat. "So shall we start our tour?" Everyone nodded but Hermione hung back expressing her wish to go to the hatchery first. They all left the office together, then Matt pointed her the road leading to the hatchery and took the others the other way. "Peas of a pod" she heard him mutter jokingly.

While walking towards the hatchery, Hermione took in her surroundings. It looked like a small settlement. She wondered if his reserve in Scotland would look similar. When she reached the hatchery, she found him easily. He was perched on a stool, talking lovingly to the vibrating eggs.

"It's a beautiful world out here you know," she heard him say to the eggs. "I know it feels safe in there, but out here you'll have adventures. I understand your scared, especially since your mommy is not around, but you'll have me. I'll care for you, nurture you and nurse you to health in no time. You'll be free dragons, drinking fresh water from the streams and flying over the tallest mountains. You'll have space to grow and lots of tasty food to eat. You'll have lots of people to care for you, to love you. But for all this to come true, you need to come out of your shell and give us a chance. We can only help you if you let us. Come on little fellows, I know you can do it. I am right here, waiting for you. Come on out, come now. One more push, one more shove and that's it, you're doing great, come on baby, come out." As if responding to his sweet coaxing, one of the eggs shook a lot and pop came a dragon. It huffed and coughed and sent out smoke. Charlie removed his protective gloves and put his finger in front of the dragon's nose for him to know his smell. It sent a little smoke up his fingers, but he did not budge, just holding his fingers still. Finally the dragon leaned in, nuzzling his finger. A beatific smile broke out on Charlie's face. "I love you too little one. Welcome to the world. You are going to enjoy it here, I promise. Now come on, let's get your siblings to hatch too."

It took a little more than an hour for all the three eggs to hatch. All the while Hermione just stood in the corner and watched him at work.

Once he had settled all three hatchlings, he sent a Patronus to someone. Taking that as a cue that he'd finished his work, Hermione ran to him, crushing him to her and kissing him with all her being. He stumbled back a little at the sudden action, but supported himself with the table behind, holding her close and lifting her a little high, he kissed her back.

"Wow! What brought that on?" he asked when they came up for some air.

"You," she replied, not moving an inch away from him.

"Good," came his reply, and he bent down for another kiss.

They were brought out of their kisses this time by a distinct cough. "Wow! If it gets any hotter in here, all the eggs will end up hatching today," one of the men commented.

"No wonder he's always talking about her," another one threw back.

Charlie set Hermione down tenderly and then turned and gave all the men an angry look, threatening them about things he'd do once he was back after a few days. That seemed to quieten them. "Take care of my babies while I'm away," he told them seriously and went back to the newborns to tell them he was leaving, promising to be back in four days' time.

He held her hand as they walked out of the hatchery. "Why did you not go for a tour of the reserve?"

"I wanted a different tour guide," she shrugged looking at him.

"Why is it that you always give me odd looks when it is most difficult for me to do things about them?"

"You bring them out at odd times," she pattered.

"Come here," he said, pulling her into a corner and began to kiss her passionately again.

"You know, you'll make a very good father someday," she said when they had resumed their walk.

"I'm a Weasley. We're bred that way," he said, smiling.

Together, they walked around the reserve, stopping often to either see some dragons or for some stolen kisses.

!

All the others brought in the new year at a local pub in the next town. They were all thrashed and could barely make it back home. But Charlie and Hermione never went out. They decided to have their own little celebration at his cottage.

After the others left, Charlie transfigured an extra room beyond the den, making Hermione marvel again at his magical prowess. They set Harry's and Ginny's stuff in his guest bedroom and Ron's and Rosa's stuff in the newly charmed bedroom. He then came back for her. Picking her up bridal style he made his way to his bedroom. "I've dreamed of this since so long Hermione."

He opened the door wandless and kicked it shut. He then put her on the bed and they both proceeded to kiss each other senseless. After a long time, they fell asleep in each other's arms, both wanting to be fresh and awake to bring in the new year with the other.

!

When he woke up after his nap, he saw the top of her head on the other side of the bed. She was sitting down on the floor cross legged and reading. He moved close to her, folded his hands in front of his face and put his face down on his hands. "What are you reading love?"

"Kamasutra."

"What?!"

"Ginny gifted me copies of Kamasutra, muggle and wizarding editions for Christmas. And since I have barely any knowledge in that field, I thought I'd read it. But there are so many things that confuse me Charlie." She looked really bewildered to think of how something as easy as sex and its positions could confuse her. Before she took matters too seriously, Charlie decided to put an end to it.

"Maybe some other time, you and I can sit with those books and check them further, but now, how about some practical?" saying this he banished the books to a close by table and started nibbling on a particularly tender spot on the lobe of her right ear. She looked torn when she gazed around before looking him in the eye but she came up and joined him on the bed.

"What's the matter, witch? Tell me. We both know we aren't going any further before closing this."

"You did not make any fun of me. When I said I was finding the text a little confusing, you promised to help me later, without laughing at me."

"Hermione, the pursuit of knowledge is nothing to be ashamed of. I'm 26 and still trying to learn new things all the time. And I hope I have the same attitude when I'm 126! Whatever the topic be, knowing more never harms. In fact that was one of the reasons I immediately consented when Tonks came to me asking me to wed you. I knew very little about you, but I knew you'd be one of the very witches who'd understand my passion for learning. I just knew you would not whine when I'd be out trying to perfect a new spell I'd learned, in fact you be amongst the few to come out and help me with it."

She just stared at him in wonderment. "What? Did you honestly think they got you married to an oaf of a dragon keeper? They wouldn't even have suggested me if they'd thought you and I wouldn't be compatible. Wizarding marital decrees are far more severe than the muggle ones, we don't enter into the bind thoughtlessly unlike our muggle counter-parts."

Creasing her brows deep in thought, Hermione just stared at him, a weird expression on her face, when something sizzled on her fingers. She looked down to see her third finger on the left hand glittering golden and in its wake leaving a beautiful ring. The band was a dragon and at its centre was a gold circle. The dragon's head was half way through the hoop as if passing through it. Charlie looked down at her hands too and on seeing the ring there, he spoke, with a slight catch in his voice, "I had promised you I'd go to any lengths for you, that's my promise. I'd jump through any hoop for you."

"Oh Charlie! This is beautiful," Hermione said with a watery smile, biting her lip to control her emotions.

"Do you know what this means Hermione?" he asked, fiddling with her ring absentmindedly while looking at her. She shook her head in the negative.

"You're in love with me. The ring was charmed to appear only when you'd be truly ready to accept our relationship and the true acceptance of every relationship comes only when there's love in it."

"That's why you wanted to wait. You wanted me to fall in love with you before we went any further in our relationship?"

"Yes."

"Oh my stupid husband! And you kept trying to tell me you're not romantically inclined! Ha!" she laughed and hugged him. Then kissed him softly putting all the love she felt for him in that kiss, pushing him back on the bed while he cradled her on top on him. "I've been falling hard for you since the first time we kissed after the war, in your room, by the door."

"I told you I was better at expressing myself through actions than words," he smiled, eyes lighting up with mischief and desire.

She smiled at that. "Time to make true another promise my husband made to me I think," she said, mischief mingled with love shinning in her bright eyes, making them darker by the second. He just nodded and pulled her into his arms.

He kissed her everywhere from the base of her feet to the top of head. She felt as if he was paying homage to her body. When he was finally about to connect them, he stilled on top of her. Looking into her eyes, "I feel like I'm coming home," he said.

"Oh Charlie!" Hermione cried, tearing up at that and he licked her falling tears away.

"You're finally mine Hermione. All mine. In every sense of the word. Don't cry now love. Be with me, in this moment, as I make you mine all over again," he whispered, never breaking their eye contact.

She smiled through her unshed tears and nodded. Biting her lip, she placed her hand just below her navel. "I want to feel you moving in me as you re-claim what was always yours," she said.

He bit his own lip to stop from shedding a tear himself. Instead, he picked her hand up and kissed its palm and replaced it on the same spot. He joined his forehead to hers and closed his eyes, savouring the moment, wanting to remember everything about it all his life. After a long minute, he opened his eyes and looked at his wife.

"My beautiful, beautiful bride. Your mine. And I'm yours. Always," he said in a gruff voice, barely able to control all his emotions. He gave her one long burning kiss and entered her.

In spite of all the foreplay of the past few days, Hermione still felt herself stretch just as she had all those long months back and she gasped at the pain. Charlie stilled again on top of her. "Am I hurting you love?" he asked concerned.

She shook her head. "No. It's.. it's just been too long," she spoke huskily, not meeting his eyes.

He kissed her forehead. "I know love. I'm sorry. I'll go slower." He quickly corrected his mistake and went as slow as he'd gone on their wedding day, easing himself in her, centimetre by painful centimetre, the speed taxing his self-control. When he was completely sheathed inside her, he waited for her to adjust to him again. After a few quick beats, she nodded for him to continue. He smiled at that. _She's still as innocent as she was then_ he thought, _even the war wasn't able to take that away from her._ He kissed her just like he had their first ever time together and he got her to relax and then raised her to fever pitch again and only when she was responding to him with fervor he moved in her again.

She pleaded him to go faster after just a few strokes and he happily obliged. He filled her with his hot seed, flooding her hot crevice and she finally felt complete again. He hugged her close in the aftermath of their lovemaking and she nuzzled his chest and pushed herself in closer. "I'm home," she whispered, "I'm in you're arms where I'm meant to be. Always," she spoke softly, but he heard her and his face split in the biggest grin ever.

"Yes," he agreed, "in my arms, you're meant to be, always." And he kissed her, deeply with all his love.

"I love you, Charlie," she said, looking up at him shyly.

"And I love you, my wife," he said, smiling down at her.

They stayed in each other's arms for a bit and then suddenly Charlie froze. "Shit!" he groaned and sat up.

"What?" she asked surprised at his harshness, sitting up herself.

"We didn't use any contraception! I'm not under the spell anymore. There wasn't any need before this, so I…" he trailed off.

She smiled. "I don't mind. I… I'd like to have our baby," she mustered her Gryffindor courage to say.

"Our baby," he whispered the words, turning them around in his mind, his eyes sparkling a bright cerulean blue with the happiness that they brought before he turned to her and shook himself out of that phase. "No! Are you nuts? You're still in school!" he complained hotly instead.

"So? I'm 20! I think I can decide when I want a child and when I don't," she grumbled, crossing her hands in front of her chest.

Charlie quickly threw an after-act emergency contraceptive charm at her and then spelled a protection charm at himself for their near future acts. "Not till you pass out of Hogwarts and that's NOT negotiable," he said in clear tones, brooking no opposition. Then he tried a little calmly, "And till then, I'm gonna enjoy my wife's hot bod!"

And he started peppering her with kisses to get her to forget her anger. It worked! He flooded her senses with himself and soon she was responding to him, her anger and its topic easily forgotten under his expertise.

They both missed their dinner that evening, neither really caring. They brought in the New Year in their own special way. They did not leave their room until the wee hours of the early morning of 1st January, as Charlie went on to show his wife exactly how much he had been holding back these past few months….


	18. Chapter 18

- **CHAPTER 17** -

She saw him sitting with their family on her graduation day. As if sensing her eyes on him, he looked up and gave her a dazzling smile, eyes showing just how proud he was of her.

When they announced her name as 'Mrs. Hermione Weasley' - the valedictorian of her class, she saw Charlie's eyes widen and pleasure stamped on his face.

After the ceremony, Charlie waited for her to finish greeting and speaking with all her friends and teachers. When she finally reached him, he smiled, all his love and pride in her showing in his eyes.

"Walk with me," he said, tugging at her hand, without waiting for her response. He led her to the lake and they walked by its edge, Charlie rubbing his thumb on the back of her hand that he was holding as he twisted his pout every which way.

Hermione had long ago identified that gesture as his deep thinking. He did that every time he was gathering his wits before stammering about his innermost feelings. She smiled at that, wondering what he wanted to say.

And he was berating himself in his head. _Oh come on Weasley! It's not even like the poor girl has an option to say no! You've been lugging the damn thing around for months now! Just ask her already or the next thing you know you'll be dancing with her on your grandchild's wedding with the damned box still burning a hole in your pocket!_

"Hermione…" he started and she smiled. _I'll know soon enough now,_ she thought.

He stopped walking and looked at her, taking in every minute detail from the pins in her hair till the paint of her nails and finally he said, "I don't know why I'm so nervous about this. I've been losing courage the past few months now. But… if I don't do this now… I might just…"

He took in a deep breath, looked her right in the eyes and went down on one knee. "Hermione, will you please do me the honour of marrying me again? I want to give you the wedding of your dreams, the one that you should have had the first time around. I want you to dress in a gown or robe of your choice. I will dress in whatever you ask me to. We'll have our friends and family around to wish us well. I'll take you to Australia and help you un-obliviate your parents before the wedding so that they can be a part of it all too. I want you to have everything you've ever wished for and dreamed about on that day. I want to kiss you right this time around," he smiled a little at that. "I want to hold you against me as we dance our first dance ever as man and wife." Then he added with a little darkening of his beautiful eyes. "I want to make you mine in every sense all over again, this time without the taunting and the hexing. I want to keep you awake all night long on our wedding night, screaming my name with abandonment in our own house, without needing to silence charm the room this time."

Then he creased his nose a little, "Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't change a thing about our first time. I love and cherish every single second of it. It told me exactly what a firecracker I'd gone and married, but…." He trailed off.

"Hermione…. will you… please marry again? Wherever you want, however big or small, as long it is the wedding that you've dreamed about since you were little. I want to do things right as we _finally_ start our lives together. I know you don't really have the choice to say no, but I'd like to think that you'd choose to marry me instead of being cornered into doing that to save your mates. I'd like to know I'm marrying you because I can't spend another day without you, not because I feel it's my responsibility to help with a war in every way I can."

"Hermione… I… I don't know how I've survived the past two years of our marriage. You lit like fire in my arms and then disappeared for a year leaving me cold from the inside and out. I rode Fred and George up the walls on our wedding day for stealing kisses from my bride. Every single day after you left, I was worried sick about you. I almost killed Ron for abandoning you, cursing my luck in the process for I wasn't let to take his place."

"I … I fought beside you, uncaring about anyone else on the field, your safety was my singular focus that day, I didn't even care about the final result of the battle after I saw you on the field. At the time of the respite I … I justified my actions in my head saying that most senior death eaters were anyway attacking you so you needed me there. I … I forgot my own younger brother and sister who were facing the same predicament."

"I broke a little on the inside after the war, when… when you did not owl me. I… I had left you a letter before I left and I had thought I'd get some reply. I waited every single day for all those months but didn't hear anything from you. I couldn't eat.. I .. couldn't sleep, the entire time I thought….. I can't even explain it."

"When I met you on your going away party, and you asked me tag along for your tattoo…." He smiled fondly at that. "I'd worked myself up to a state but just a few words from you and I was placated. I knew my young bride had me wrapped around her little finger then."

"When you were leaving for Hogwarts the next day, I finally begged you for owls knowing I couldn't get through another day without hearing from you once you'd left. Your first letter…. Hermione I danced all around the reserve, even in the dragons' cages! I… oh the joy singeing through me Hermione… I won't be able to tell you…"

Then he looked at her again and scrunched his nose. "I'm rambling! Hermione… my dear darling little young bride, will you please marry me again? In a wedding of your dreams? Tell me what you want and I'll make all your dreams come true. I promise."

He looked at her for a long minute as she kept staring at him, tears flowing from her eyes but lips sealed shut. "Witch! Could you please just say a yes and put me out of my misery?"

That snapped her out of her thoughts. "Oh Charlie! You stupid, stupid man!" and she threw herself on him and kissed him with every thing she had. He cradled her on top and finally when he knew he couldn't take it anymore, he picked her up and took her to the edge of the forbidden forest and charmed a protective bubble around them to avoid trespassers and nosy eavesdroppers before turning to her.

Before he could get a word out, she jumped him again and soon they were both too lost in each other. When he'd finally given her all she wanted, he pulled himself up on his arms and looked at her again, frowning a little. "So, is it a yes or a no? And I don't understand, why can't you just answer me properly?" he glowered at her, frustrated.

"You're still so stupid! Of course that's a yes, you idiot. Since when does a no look like that? And you keep saying you're a man of action! But when I give you action, it's words you ask! Decide what you want already!" she glared right back.

He looked her up and down, eyes lit with something that made Hermione's breath catch in her throat. "I want you, my feisty wife, always," he said with conviction and slipped a ring on her finger, before he bent down to kiss her, both losing their control soon enough yet again.

"So that means you'll marry me?" he asked her again when they were both shrugging back into their clothes.

"Charlie… I swear to Merlin, I'll hex you…" but then she looked into his eyes that still had a little uncertainty in them and she walked to him and hugged him close.

"Yes, my love, I'll marry you. Not because I need to but because I want to. Not because the last time wasn't good enough for me, but because this time means so much more to you. Charlie, I've only ever thought of you as my husband since our wedding. I don't need any other ceremony to make it real. But I know it all means a lot to you. So yes, I will marry you. Again. With everything that both of us want. I will marry you soon so that we enter our new house as man and wife and start our new life on that note together. Charlie, I love you," and she kissed him at that, "and there's nothing I won't do for you."

Then with mischief in her smile, "I promise I'll jump through any hoop for you," she said and winked at him before turning around to walk away again.

"You witch!" he hollered behind her and pulled her back to him, much like he had on their wedding day so long ago. "Since when does a yes look as plain as that?" he asked and kissed her senseless after that, rising them both to fever pitch again.

It was almost evening by the time they made their way back down to meet with their family and get back to the Burrow.


	19. Chapter 19

- **EPILOGUE** -

They married two weeks later. Her parents were smiling broadly all through the day. The groom was driving everyone crazy to ensure everything was perfect for his bride while the bride stood by the window of their room and saw the scene unfolding on the grounds, laughing.

Charlie's breath caught in his throat when he saw Hermione walking down the aisle on her father's arm. She saw all his love for her shining in his eyes when her father placed her hand in his and he tenderly held it there, looking at her as if he couldn't quite believe she was really there, standing beside him in front of the minister.

They had both removed their wedding bands the previous night so that they could exchange them again. When Hermione slipped the band on Charlie's finger, his brows furrowed as he looked for it.

"It's enchanted," she winked and he glared at her. He simply stared at his finger and the ring revealed itself.

Hermione scrunched her nose at him. "You're taking all the fun out of it," she complained, but her eyes shone with her love for him.

He looked at his wedding band. It wasn't the one he'd given to her the previous night. It was exactly like hers, but it had an otter jumping through a hoop instead of a dragon. He looked at her questioningly and she smiled a little coyly, "It's my patronus."

His eyes lit up at that. _Playful and smart. Suits her,_ he thought.

"Rub it," she said and he did just that. She'd had it engraved on the hind side and on his touch the words revealed themselves. _'For you, always'_ it said. He smiled.

"Kiss yours," he whispered. She did and the same words revealed themselves on her band. She grinned and bit her lip, eyes misting over. "I love you," she said looking into his eyes.

"And I you," he replied, doing the same.

To remind them both about the forgotten crowd around them the minister cleared his throat and pronounced them husband and wife. When the minister asked him to kiss the bride, Hermione saw Charlie's eyes light up with mischief and she flipped. "I will hex you if you kiss me on the cheek again," she fumed.

And the entire hall laughed. "Wouldn't dream of it," Charlie chuckled as he pulled her into his arms, lifting her clear off the ground while she wrapped her hands around his neck to ensure she wouldn't fall and he kissed her way too passionately in front of the large audience they had. He held on to her as he let her mouth go, setting her back on the ground, knowing she'd be too weak in the knees to stand straight immediately.

"I don't make the same mistake twice," he shrugged. "Plus you know better hexes now. I might actually need my wand to deflect them this time," he laughed.

"You're just too full of yourself," she complained haughtily.

"And yet, come tonight, I promise you'll be the one full of me," he said softly, seductively in her ears, eyes going dark, "All night long," he winked, sending shivers all over Hermione, as he bent his head down and kissed her again.

And they started their new life, finally together, on that teasingly loving note…


End file.
